WI vs IND 1st ODI: Indian team has kickstarted the ODI leg of the West Indies series by registering a gleaming victory over the home side. India surpassed West Indies to clinch the fixture by five wickets. It was an occasion to celebrate for the entire Indian team. But the moment was more special for the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja & Kuldeep Yadav who achieved a rare feat during the match. The duo became the first pair of Indian left-arm spinners to scalp seven wickets in an ODI fixture.
Kuldeep & Jadeja achieved the rare feat during the first ODI of the series. Kuldeep Yadav wreaked havoc & returned with figures of 4-6 in just three overs while his teammate Jadeja returned with figures of 3-37. Their lethal spin attack helped them to become the first pair of Indian left arm spinners to fetch 7 wickets in an ODI fixture. Both the spinners were delighted after achieving this rare feat in the 50-over format of cricket.
Speaking about the milestone Kuldeep said,
“I envisioned it to be a favorable pitch for seam bowling, and we are delighted that our team managed to secure 7 wickets. The pitch exhibited some spin and bounce, which added to the challenge. Having strong competition is beneficial, and we strive to collaborate and complement each other’s efforts.”
Kuldeep Yadav was also awarded the Man of the Match award for his outstanding show with the ball. His figures of 4-6 in three overs helped India to restrict West Indies to a meager total of 114 in 50 overs. Not to forget Jadeja’s three-wicket haul came as an ally for Kuldeep. And together the duo dismantled West Indies batting order & achieved the special feat of first Indian pair of left arm spinners to scalp seven wickets in the ODI format.
WI vs IND 1st ODI: Kuldeep-Ishan shines as India took an early lead
Earlier the match unfolded with India winning the toss & opting to field first. Indian bowlers held their nerves & displayed an excellent bowling show to wrap Windies innings for just 114 runs in 23 overs. It was Kuldeep & Jadeja who shone bright with their lethal spin attack & did the trick for India. Kuldeep wreaked havoc with the ball by scalping 4 wickets for just 6 runs in three overs. He removed some big names from the field by dismissing Hope, Drakes, Cariah, and Seales & put Windies on the back foot. He got good support from Jadeja who returned with figures of 3-37 by dismissing Shepherd, Powell & Athanaze. In the process, Jadeja- Kuldeep became the first Indian pair of left-arm spinners to scalp seven wickets in an ODI fixture.
Later, in reply, Ishan Kishan’s 52 off 46 balls along with Suryakumar’s (19 off 25 balls) & Jadeja’s (16 off 21 balls) quick cameos helped India to chase the target within 22.5 overs with five wickets in spare. The fixture saw major changes in the position of batters as the senior players Virat & Rohit didn’t come to their original spots. Rohit came to bat at No 7 while Suryakumar took Kohli’s poistion at No 3. The idea was to experiment with the line-up & fix the right combinations with World Cup in the picture.
The second ODI of the three-match Series will be played on Saturday 29th August at the same venue.
Also read, ICC ODI World Cup 2023: IND vs PAK clash to be Rescheduled