MUMBAI: Soon after their arrival in India, West Indies coach Richie Richardson had expressed confidence in his team’s ability to tackle spin bowling. Richardson said they have ample video footage of Indian spinners and they know the bowlers well thanks to the IPL.
With still five days to go for the first ODI in Kochi, the visitors will be required to spend time both in front of a screen studying footages and in the nets after their failed show in the first practice game against India A here at the Cricket Club of India. The visitors were shot out for a paltry 148 and faced a humiliating nine-wicket loss after Unmukut Chand’s steady 79 sealed the deal in just 25.3 overs. Indian spinners Amit Mishra 3/26, Karn Sharma 2/27 and Parvez Rasool 1/7 shared six wickets among themselves after Dhaval Kulkarni and Jasprit Bumrah started well on a fresh wicket. With his unique action Bumrah troubled the batters with his pace.
The visitors seemed in no mood to spend time at the wicket and were repeatedly going for big shots. With his side tottering at 70-4, Pollard walked to bat, but his resistance ended in just five balls when Mishra got through his defence. Former captain Darren Sammy (0) was also undone in a similar way and walked back to the hut after facing just three balls. Karn Sharma, the second leggie in the team trapped Marlon Samuels (56 off 59) in front to end his spirited run.
While the performance would have surely delighted the five national selectors who were in attendance, the overwhelming show would have compounded their misery ahead of the selection meeting to be held in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Gunning for a place in the Indian squad vacated by the injured Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay (26 off 37 balls) looked composed yet again. He shared a 71-run opening stand with Unmukt before being caught at short cover off Roach. Unmukt paced his innings beautifully after providing a steady defence against the lanky Jason Holder earlier. He brought up his fifty in sixty balls with eight boundaries and later carted two sixes in a row off Samuels. Batting at three, Karun Nair remained unbeaten on 28.
Brief scores
West Indies 148 in 38.1 overs (Marlon Samuels 56, Amit Mishra 3/26) lost to India A 149/1 in 25.3 overs (Unmukt Chand 79*, Roach 1/28)
