Rohit Sharma outdoes Andre Russell's heroics

India 228 for 7 (Rohit 86*, Harbhajan 41) beat West Indies 225 for 8 (Russell 92*, Simmons 45, Mishra 3-28, Munaf 3-60) by three wickets

Rohit Sharma produced his best international innings since his big-stage arrival in Australia three years ago to help India chase down 226 from 92 for 6. Harbhajan Singh supported him with a seventh-wicket partnership full of sensible cricket and worth 88 runs. Rohit stayed unbeaten on 86 to outdo a similar effort from Andre Russell who blasted 92 off 64 to give West Indies a defendable target after they had been 96 for 7. With the result, India took an unassailable 3-0 lead. West Indies last won an ODI series against a Test-playing nation in April 2008.


Without doubt this was the best of India's tour so far. A day when West Indies showed remarkable fight after getting off to the worst start of the series. A day when Amit Mishra mesmerised them with old-fashioned legspin full of turn, drift, bounce, straighter ones and googlies. A day when two tails wagged to provide uncertainty and drama. A day when a young talent announced himself well and proper on the international stage. A day when a young talent who has fumbled with mediocrity played a comeback innings well and proper.

Fresh start for world champions

It's their first ODI assignment as world champions, and India are fielding a second-string team. The IPL has won out over West Indies in terms of player priority, but will the hosts be able to make the Indians pay for their decision? When India and West Indies played for the first time after their meeting in the 1983 World Cup final, the Indians were taught a bitter lesson in a 5-0 thrashing by the still pre-eminent team in world cricket then. Replicating that is beyond the present West Indies outfit, but they promise a closely-fought series, boosted by the return of Dwayne Bravo.

If the only Twenty20 international was anything to go by, the West Indies batting was vulnerable against spin, a continuation of its problems against the slow bowlers from the Pakistan series. The spin-friendly pitch at the Queen's Park Oval made it worse for them, and their woes could recur if the surface plays the same.

India news

Decision to play is player's call - IPL chief

The decision to play is a player's call and no player is forced to represent his club or country, particularly when it's a case of injury, the IPL chief Sundar Raman has said. "I think it has always been up to the player to decide," he told ESPNcricinfo. "Firstly, he has to see whether he is fit or not. And the BCCI physio will take a look at the player and subject to a satisfactory report, he plays.

"The player knows his body better than anyone else does and I don't think I want to sit in judgement on that. If the physio believes that the player is not fit to play a game, he would report that and the player would not play the game.

"Nobody is forced to play. Nobody is forced to play for the country. Nobody is forced to play for their club."

India tour of West Indies 2011

We'll be better prepared against spin - Gibson

West Indies will be better prepared to combat India's spin threat in the upcoming ODI and Test series, coach Ottis Gibson has said. The West Indies batsmen proved vulnerable against spin during the drawn Test series against Pakistan, losing 32 of their 40 wickets in the two games to slow bowlers. They face a spin-heavy Indian one-day squad, which includes offspinners Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin, legspinner Amit Mishra, and part-timers Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma.

"It is not a lot of time but we have got a lot of players that have played spin and made runs against spin before," Gibson told theTrinidad and Tobago Express. "People just have to be clear what their game plan is against spin and back themselves and their ability."

India in West Indies 2011

Replacement Indian openers high on agenda

India's selectors will meet on May 27 in Chennai to pick the squad for the Test series in West Indies in June and July. With shoulder injuries likely to rule out the regular openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, the primary talking point at the meeting will be their replacements. M Vijay and Parthiv Patel are favourites at the moment to be included in the 16-man squad, ESPNcricinfo has learnt.

Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Zaheer Khan, who were all rested from the limited-overs leg of the West Indies tour, are likely to return for the Tests.

India news

Play county cricket to improve, Zaheer advises young bowlers

Zaheer Khan, the Indian seamer, has singled out his stint with Worcestershire as the "turning point" in his career and encouraged young Indian bowlers to play county cricket to prepare themselves better for international cricket. Zaheer, who was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2011 World Cup won by India, joined Worcestershire in 2006 after a phase in which he had struggled with injury and was left out of the national team. He topped the Division Two wickets list that season, picking up 78 in 16 games at 29.07.

"In many ways it was [the turning point], Zaheer told the magazine GQIndia.com. "The stint at Worcestershire helped me understand the game, why I am playing and other things in terms of preparations for matches and bowling on different kinds of wickets.

India news

Gambhir advised 4-6 weeks' rest over shoulder injury

Gautam Gambhir could miss the limited-overs leg of India's tour of the West Indies next month following the aggravation of a shoulder injury that was sustained during the World Cup final. Gambhir, named India's captain for that part of the tour, has been advised four to six weeks' rest by Andrew Leipus, the Kolkata Knight Riders trainer, and could even miss the subsequent tour of England.

If it comes to pass, Gambhir's absence will leave India without their three best specialist openers - Virender Sehwag has recently undergone shoulder surgery and Sachin Tendulkar has been rested for the short-format games. It will also fuel the debate over the importance given to the IPL vis-a-vis international cricket, and - given that Sehwag also played through the IPL with his injury - raise questions over the responsibility of the BCCI, the IPL franchises and the players.