West Indies vs India 3rd ODI Full Commentary

Welcome back for West Indies' response with the bat. The umpires and players punctually make their way to the middle. The Indians have taken their respective fielding spots. John Campbell and Shai Hope are the two openers for the tourists, walking to the crease. Mohammed Siraj is all set to steam in with the new ball. Campbell is on strike. Off we go again...

... The Run Chase ...

Tough task ahead - Batting in the first powerplay looked difficult, but the pitch certainly got better and more hospitable to bat as the innings progressed. Under the lights, conditions might come on even better for the batters too, which makes a steady start absolutely non-negotiable for the tourists. They have found proactive starts through Campbell this series, and it is now about whether that platform can be built upon to chase down a target of this size. India, on the other hand, will simply look to break through that first wall of partnerships, and their bowlers, especially the seamers, will also look to tidy up their own numbers, having been expensive through this series. Back in a bit with the start of the chase.

Backed up with a KLassic knock - However, West Indies hit back with a mini burst, removing both set batters in quick succession. Seales struck again on his return, as India slid from 141 for 2 to 160 for 4. Those twin blows gave the Indian middle order exactly the kind of test they have been craving all series. KL Rahul and Naman Dhir responded with a fluent 65-run stand, while Anshul Kamboj muscled a couple into the stands to show off his batting credentials too, on his ODI debut. But the main act was Rahul, who eventually motored his way to a well-deserved century, playing all around the dial before absolutely cutting loose towards the end to help India breach 350.

Kept things tight first up - Unlike the first two games, played on flat surfaces that produced a flood of runs and successful chases, this pitch told a very different story. The ball jumped and nipped off the deck, right up the bowlers' alley. Seales and Forde set the tone with discipline up front, the former accounting for both Gill and Kohli to leave India reeling at 4 for 2. West Indies owned the first powerplay overall, keeping India pinned to just 28 for 2. Rohit survived a couple of close shaves, and Gaikwad rode his luck too, dropped four times. Still, the two settled the nerves, found their rhythm, and stitched together a stable 137-run stand, with both Rohit and Gaikwad notching up well-paced half-centuries.

Men in Blue boss it up once again - 65 runs in the last 5 overs have powered India to a mammoth score. And they have KL Rahul to thank for it - dare we say, one of the finest knocks of his ODI career, as he finishes with his highest score in this format. West Indies will be hugely disappointed with the way they finished things off. They simply couldn't devise the right plans, let alone execute them, to keep a lid on the run flow. It was a tough day out for someone like Alzarri Joseph, who leaked plenty of runs, though a couple of crucial chances also went down off his bowling. Jayden Seales, on the other hand, was the pick of the bowlers, even if he too went for a few too many through the back end.

Keemo Paul (8-0-49-0) will bowl the final over of the first innings.

Jayden Seales will bowl the penultimate over. 9-0-45-3 are his bowling figures so far. KL Rahul is just one hit away from a well-deserved century.

A slight halt in play as reserve player Dhruv Jurel carries out towels and water for both batters. And concerns for West Indies grow further as they have been penalised for a slow over rate. Meaning an extra fielder will need to be stationed inside the inner ring for the rest of the innings. Alzarri Joseph will bowl himself out this over.

Over to the T20Is - Shubman Gill collects the trophy with mixed emotions. India take the series, but the bowling will be the lingering worry. Having conceded 405 in Guwahati and then failed to defend 351 in this game, they have plenty to work on before the bigger assignments ahead. West Indies, for their part, arrived with their pace attack billed as their real strength, but barring Jayden Seales, few of them left much of an impression with the ball. On the batting front, Justin Greaves, John Campbell and Amir Jangoo stepping up will be a big positive for them, showing they are not always dependent on Shai Hope alone. Up next is the T20I leg of the series, with the first of 5 T20Is to be played on Tuesday, 6th October, in Lucknow. The series opener will begin at 1.30 pm GMT (7 pm IST). We look forward to having you with us then. Cheers!

PLAYER OF THE SERIES - The captain of India, Shubman Gill, has been given the award for his batting brilliance in the series, scoring 334 runs, including a double century and a century. Gill says they ticked a lot of boxes but is quick to admit that there are a couple of areas that need fine-tuning. On the total, he says he was very happy with what India put up, feeling the game was well in control before being four overs behind, and also because of the dew, which allowed West Indies to snatch it away at the end. On holding back Kuldeep's final two overs, he points to some uncertainty around whether Gurnoor Brar would be back on the field, and wanted to save Kuldeep, a proven wicket-taker, for the business end of the innings. He sounds decently pleased with the team's overall progress but is clear there is still work to do. Stresses that fielding stands out as one area, with too many catches going down, and he wants it to be top-notch going forward. Secondly, he points to the death bowling. Says that needs fine-tuning too, with him admitting there are moments where it isn't clear whether the side is attacking or defending in those overs. These, he says, remain the key areas India need to improve on.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - No prizes for guessing that the captain of West Indies, Shai Hope takes home the award for his stellar knock of 162 not out from 143 balls. Hope feels chasing in India is always a little easier, especially with the dew, and is delighted to finish the series on a strong note. He says a conversation with MS Dhoni helped him approach the chase differently, with the former India captain reminding him that batters often have more time than they think. Shares that he was aware that India's over-rate penalty would force them to bring more fielders inside the circle, so he was happy to remain patient. Reflecting on the series, Hope feels they, as a side, played some really good cricket in patches and is particularly pleased with the consistency shown by the batters. He hopes the bowling can improve going forward. With the T20I series starting in just two days, Hope is hopeful of recovering in time to be fit for the opener.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Recap of the first innings - Wickets upfront with the new ball were missing for West Indies in the first two games, and Jayden Seales stepped up to end that wait. He accounted for Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli early on to reduce India to 4/2. If not for Ruturaj Gaikwad being dropped four times, it could have been an even worse start for the hosts. Gaikwad and Rohit Sharma brought about the recovery for the home side with a 137-run stand. Rohit fell short of a hundred, but KL Rahul's career-best 129 helped India reach 351, only for Shai Hope to outdo them all with a sensational knock.

Hope springs eternal - A finger injury to Jewel Andrew meant Shai Hope had to open the innings, and as it turned out, that was not a bad thing for West Indies. He was at the heart of the chase right from the start and held the innings together beautifully. Hope's 109-run stand with Amir Jangoo laid the platform before he forged useful partnerships with Sherfane Rutherford and Keemo Paul. Those stands ensured the chase never went off track, with the required run rate kept in check throughout. On either side of his 21st ODI century, Hope did lose some fluency, and the cramps only added to his challenge. India managed to push the required rate up during that period, but Hope eventually found his rhythm again, while Gudakesh Motie chipped in with some timely boundaries. That meant that from a position where West Indies needed 56 from 30 balls, they went on to get home with 10 balls to spare.

Let's hear from Keemo Paul - On his partnership with Hope, Paul reveals that the plan while batting alongside Hope was to keep the required run rate under 8 an over. Adds that, noticing Hope was struggling a touch, he knew it was on him to start taking a few more chances. Knowing they were a batter short, he credits the coaching staff for breaking the chase down into phases. Details that, having watched how India had batted earlier, he felt chasing was always slightly easier in these conditions, which kept the belief firm through the innings. On Shai Hope's innings, Paul calls him a modern-day legend for the West Indies, and rates his batting through this series as nothing short of incredible. On what this series means for him personally, Paul stresses that the main thing is not to get complacent. He adds he just wants to contribute whenever the team needs him and keep performing consistently. About his bowling, he points to the plans his side had over the past few games, with the focus purely on hitting the right lengths consistently.

A famous win for West Indies - What a way to finish the series. The Men in Maroon have pulled off their highest successful ODI chase, chasing down 352 to stun India and give themselves a huge confidence boost. Leading the charge was Shai Hope, who kept for 50 overs, opened the innings and battled cramps, but was undeterred and carried his side over the line with a superb century. India wanted to challenge themselves by batting first and defending a total, but with this defeat, they will have plenty of questions to answer about their bowling and fielding.

A game-sealing over for West Indies, 49 runs off the last 3. Naman Dhir has been handed the ball.

The ball seems to have gone out of shape, and the fourth umpire is out with the box of balls. The replacement has been picked, and we are good to go.

Pressure back on India. 27 runs off the last 2 overs. Anshul Kamboj is back. He is starting from around the wicket, with the field set for the wide yorker.

Shai Hope is getting some fluids on board as he continues to deal with the cramps. India have been penalised for their slow over rate. They will be allowed only 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle instead of 5 for the remainder of the innings.