India went 1-0 up by virtue of their three-run win in 1st ODI.
India and West Indies battled in a high-scoring thriller in the first match of the ODI series on Friday (July 22) at Port of Spain in Trinidad, with the visitors prevailing by three runs in a last-ball finish.
West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl as India's stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan (97) and Shubman Gill (64) batted outstandingly to put on 119 for the first wicket before the latter was run out. Shreyas Iyer (54) also scored a fine half-century but thereafter India lost 4/39 to slide to 252/5 in the 43rd over after being 213/1.
Deepak Hooda (27) and Akshar Patel (21) batted sensibly to take the team past the 300-run mark and finish at 308/7. Gudakesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph took two wickets each for West Indies.
The hosts responded well to the stiff target despite the early loss of Shai Hope as Kyle Mayers (75), Shamarh Brooks (46) and Brandon King (54) batted brilliantly to put the visitors under pressure. Just like India, the West Indies too lost their way slightly with Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell falling close to each other.
Akeal Hosein (33*) and Romario Shepherd (39*) took the game to the final over with 15 runs needed off Mohammed Siraj. The pacer bowled some terrific yorkers in his final three-over spell but was unlucky to concede few boundaries off edges.
However, there was some good fortune as well for him, when with 8 needed off two balls, he failed to control his yorker as it slid down the leg-side with wicket-keeper Sanju Samson brilliantly stopping the ball from going to the boundary with his left hand to save four runs for his team which proved to be the difference.
West Indies needed seven runs from the last two balls but Siraj kept his calm to concede only two and a single of the penultimate and final delivery of the match to seal the 3-run win for India. Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets each.
The teams will meet in the second of the three-match series on Sunday at the same venue after an exciting start to the ODI leg of the tour.