Shikhar Dhawan (Getty Images)
Kanpur - Shikhar Dhawan notched his highest ODI score to seal a 2-1 series win for India as they beat the West Indies by five wickets in Kanpur on Wednesday.
The supersport.com website reports that Dhawan scored 119 runs from 95 balls, which included 20 boundaries, to enable India to reach their target and end on 266 for five at Green Park.
The 27-year-old left-hander was joined by the out-of–sorts Yuvraj Singh and together they added 129 runs for the third wicket which lasted over 20 overs and was scored at exactly a run-a-ball, after Ravi Rampaul picked up the wickets of India’s star talents in Rohit Sharma (4) and Virat Kohli (19).
Dhawan scored effortlessly throughout his innings but brought up his fifth century in streaky fashion as he got a thick outside edge which raced away to the third-man boundary.
Windies skipper Dwayne Bravo would eventually get the better of him with a slower ball that the tiring batsman tried to chip over the bowler, but he was early on the shot and Bravo took the return catch with ease.
Yuvraj, who is trying to re-establish himself after a period out of the game due to health related issues, played a circumspect innings to bring up his 51st one-day international half-century. He went on to make 55 from 74 balls before he fell victim to Sunil Narine in the 31st over.
Late contributions from Suresh Raina (34) and MS Dhoni (23 not out) were required to get the home side over the line.
Narine was especially economical as he only conceded 32 runs from 10 overs and took the sole wicket of Yuvraj, while Rampaul took 2-55 from his 10 overs.
India, who had earlier won the toss and elected to field, managed to contain the West Indies to 263 for five in the third and final one-day international.
At one stage the Windies looked on course to make 300-plus with Marlon Samuels set and the scorecard reading 168 for two with nearly 15 overs left.
However, 168 for two became for 168 for three when Samuels failed to keep out a Ravichandran Ashwin delivery that snuck between bat-and-pad to clip the bails. He faced 93 balls for his 71 runs, while hitting seven fours and a six in the process. He also shared in a 117-run second-wicket partnership with Kieran Powell (70).
Allrounder Ravi Jadeja struck two overs later as he got Lendl Simmons (13) to edge behind a ball that beat him for bounce.
Dwayne Bravo (4) came and went as he got caught at cover playing an unnecessary loft shot, putting the breaks on the Islanders' run-rate.
However, Darren Bravo (51 not out) made his third consecutive fifty in the series and his 15th in his one-day international career as he and Darren Sammy (37 not out) put on 67 runs for the sixth wicket from just 49 balls to give the tourists a competitive total to defend.
Ashwin was the pick of the Indian bowlers as he finished with figures of 2-45.
Teams:
India: RG Sharma, S Dhawan, V Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, SK Raina, MS Dhoni (capt/ wk), RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, B Kumar, Mohammed Shami, MM Sharma.
West Indies: KOA Powell, J Charles (wk), MN Samuels, DM Bravo, LMP Simmons, DJ Bravo (capt), DJG Sammy, SP Narine, V Permaul, JO Holder, R Rampaul.
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