Port of Spain: A four-wicket haul by leg-spinner Amit Mishra and half-centuries from Virat Kohli (81 off 103 balls) and Parthiv Patel (56 off 64 balls) helped India register a 7-wicket win – by the Duckworth-Lewis method - in a rain-curtailed second ODI against the West Indies on Wednesday.
Kohli hit six sparkling boundaries and a six in his knock, while Patel smashed two fours and two maximums during his stay at the wicket.With another win at the Queen's Park Oval, India are leading the five-match series 2-0.
India's chase towards the modest West Indian target of 241 began on a dodgy note as opener Shikhar Dhawan could not even bat beyond the 5-over mark.
Ravi Rampaul accounted for the southpaw's dismissal after his slash outside the off stump only managed to find the fielder at the backward point.
Dhawan was replaced by Virat Kohli who, after initial hiccups, played some magnificent strokes - both on the front and back foot.
He was ably supported by Parthiv Patel, who took time to get his eye in. But once set, the left-hander rotated the strike at will.
When the play stopped due to rain for the second time, India were 100/1 – 30 runs more than required through the D/L method.
Getting a revised target of 183 runs in 37 overs, India came out all guns blazing. Parthiv Patel, especially, hit a few crisp shots to get the Indian innings going once again.
And though Kohli took some time to find his feet after the rain break, he made sure that India didn't fall back in terms of the required rate.
But in an attempt to increase the scoring rate, Patel fell to leg-spinner Anthony Martin. The Indian wicket-keeper was brilliantly caught behind his legs by his opposite number Carlton Baugh.
Kohli, too, departed when the team required 10 more runs to overhaul the West Indies target.
But Indian skipper Suresh Raina (26 off 19 balls), along with Rohit Sharma (7 off 14 balls), ensured that the visitors reach the required target without losing any more wickets.
Earlier, Amit Mishra’s four wickets helped India restrict the West Indies to a modest 240/9 in their fifty overs.
Ramnaresh Sarwan scored his second successive fifty (56 off 90 balls), while Lendl Simmons, too, struck 53 off 84 balls.
Medium pacer Munaf Patel contributed with three wickets, while off-spinner Yusuf Pathan chipped in with two wickets.
Windies openers Simmons and Kirk Edwards got the measure of India's new ball bowlers and took the side to a cautious start after Indian captain Suresh Raina won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Surviving a scare off Amit Mishra in the tenth over, Edwards became the victim of the leg-spinner in his next over and was caught by Parthiv Patel on 25.
Buoyed by Edwards' wicket, Mishra continued to extract the vicious turn from the Queen's Park wicket and troubled the batsmen that followed.
But Simmons, who strung a 57-run partnership for the first wicket with Edwards, was also involved in another 67-run stand for the second wicket with the experienced Sarwan.
The two batsmen kept the scoreboard ticking with quick running between the wickets and hit boundaries whenever the loose ball was offered.
Simmons completed his fifty in 75 balls before being outdone by Yusuf Pathan. The right-hander, who came down the track, missed a delivery bowled way down the leg side by Pathan and was stumped on 53.
But Sarwan, who looked in sublime touch from the beginning, made sure that his side didn't lose another wicket soon.
Marlon Samuels, too, played a brief cameo (36 off 32 balls), before becoming the second victim of Pathan.
He hit a one-handed four and a cracking six off Yusuf but threw his wicket away while trying the same a few deliveries later.
Meanwhile, Sarwan scored his second successive fifty and set his side posting a challenging score.
But a scurry of wickets brought down the projected score from 270 to a target well under 250.
Sarwan got the victim of disciplined Munaf Patel, who bowled a maiden 41st over – including the prized wicket of Sarwan.
The departure of the right-hander brought the big-hitting Kieron Pollard to the crease and the home side took the batting powerplay instantly.
But the ploy didn't work as the burly batsman was trapped in front of the wickets by Mishra. Dwayne Bravo (8 off 17 balls) followed Pollard as he gave a simple catch to Harbhajan Singh at long-off off Mishra.
Mishra completed his four-wicket haul by taking the wicket of Carlton Baugh (2 off 9 balls).
But some late hitting in death overs by Darren Sammy (22 off 19 balls) ensured that the home side put up a modest yet challenging score.
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