“I Am A Very Cool Captain”: Shikhar Dhawan Exudes Swag At 1st ODI Toss vs West Indies. Shikhar Dhawan, India’s captain, scored 97 in the first ODI against the West Indies.
Shikhar Dhawan hit a well-crafted 97 and Shubmam Gill hit a classy 64 in his ODI comeback. As India held their nerves to beat the West Indies by three runs in the series opener here. Dhawan (97 off 99 balls) and Gill (64 off 53 balls) put on a 119-run stand before the West Indies came back to limit India to 308 for seven. The West Indies needed 15 off the final over at Queens Park Oval to set a new record. Mohammed Siraj was able to stop a rampaging Romario Shepherd (38 not out off 25).
Dhawan also impressed with his swagger during the coin toss. He question about his feelings about leading India. “I am an extremely calm captain. I keep my team’s energy high, and I enjoy making sound decisions. Keep the team motivated and the process moving. We ensure that our process is very strong and that we continue to do the right things in order to achieve the desired results.”
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Shikhar Dhawan Exudes Swag At 1st ODI Toss vs West Indies
Kyle Mayers (75 off 68) and Shamarh Brooks (46 off 61) raised West Indies’ hopes with a 117-run second-wicket stand before Brandon King (54 off 66) took the game deep. In the end, the West Indies were bowled out for 305.
Shardul Thakur had struck twice earlier in the chase to bring India back into the game, dismissing the set pair of Mayers and Brooks.
Mayers’ innings featured several spectacular strokes, including a one-legged pull shot off Siraj.
Shreyas Iyer, who has struggled with the short ball recently, was back among the runs with a fluent 54 off 57 balls.
The opening pair of Gill and Dhawan set the tone for a 350-plus total before the former was run out against the run of play in the 18th over.
Gill, one of the most entertaining batters to watch when he’s on fire, looked at ease against the fast bowlers.
Gill hooked Alzarri Joseph for a six before delighting the crowd with a perfectly placed back foot punch for a boundary. When the ball was pitched up, he looked just as good playing cover drives.
His inning featured six fours and two sixes. West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran had to dismiss him with a brilliant direct hit. It was Gill’s first ODI fifty in his fourth game.
Dhawan, who only plays one format and had a slow start in England, paced his innings well, while Gill batted aggressively at the other end. The southpaw racked up ten fours and three sixes. The slog sweep off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was his go-to shot.
Akeal Hosein, the other left-arm spinner, impressed by getting the ball to turn sharply.
India were on course for a 350-plus total when Dhawan was dismissed for the seventh time in the 1990s, resulting in a middle-order collapse that reduced the visitors to 252 for five from 213 for one.
Sanju Samson (12) blew a good chance to make an impact, while Suryakumar Yadav (13) was beaten by a loose shot.
Deepak Hooda (27) and Axar Patel (21) took India past 300 with a 42-run stand for the sixth wicket.
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