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 Payback India comfortably defeats West Indies
Posted: Sunday September 12, 1999 12:24 PM
TORONTO (AP) -- Saurav Ganguly and fellow left-hander Sadagoppan Ramesh each hit unbeaten half centuries to guide India to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the opening match of the DMC Cup Saturday. Ganguly, voted the Man of the Match, stroked 54 off 69 balls with seven fours and a six. The 27-year-old from Calcutta added an unbroken 106 with Ramesh, whose 55 spanned 97 balls and was spiced with eight boundaries. India reached 165 for two off 37.3 overs to complete the victory with 12.3 overs to spare. Earlier, it was their bowlers who had given India the upper hand by bowling out the West Indies for 163 in 46.2 overs. "The guys did well after coming all the way from Singapore a couple of days ago," Ganguly said. "I think the bowlers did a fantastic job." India was beaten by the West Indies in the final of the three-nation Singapore Challenge on Tuesday and arrived in Toronto late Thursday. All-rounder Robin Singh thrashed the West Indies middle order and finished with three for 43 with his medium pace, including the key wicket of captain Brian Lara for two. Off-spinner Nikhil Chopra supported well and earned a career-best of two for 17 off 10 overs. Left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi grabbed two for 30 and pacer Debashish Mohanty two for 31. Only opener Sherwin Campbell, with a topscore of 62 off 95 balls, and the in-form Ricardo Powell, with 37 off 34 balls with five fours and two sixes, offered any resistance for the Caribbean side. After India won the toss, Mohanty started the West Indies' woes by removing left-handed opener Adrian Griffith for one in the fourth over. Barbadian Griffith, returning to one-day internationals for the first time in nearly three years, dragged a short ball back onto middle stump off his forearm. Shivnarine Chanderpaul helped Campbell add 35 for the second wicket. But Chopra, with the assistance of wicketkeeper M.S.K. Prasad, accounted for Chanderpaul through a stumping and the West Indies' progress was stalled. Singh bowled Chris Gayle, a tall left-hander making his debut, and had Lara caught at midwicket off a skied pull to leave the innings in peril at 57 for four. Powell, a century-maker in his last innings in the final of the Singapore Challenge against India last Tuesday, slowed the West Indian decline by again advertising his power hitting and immense potential. The 20-year-old counter-attacked and dragged Campbell along with him. The Jamaican lashed two leg-side sixes off pacer Venkatesh Prasad's second spell and was threatening to take total command when he fell to a catch in the deep off Singh. But After Powell's dismissal, the innings subsided rather meekly, with the last six wickets accounting for just 42 runs. Campbell was a second stumping victim for M.S.K. Prasad, who moved in front of the stumps to gather a rebound off bat and pad before the batsman could recover his ground. The Barbadian struck six fours in his eighth half century at this level, three of the boundaries coming off consecutive balls from Singh. After that, Hendy Bryan was undone by Joshi's straight ball; Reon King top-edged a skier to midwicket off Mohanty; and Courtney Walsh completed the collapse when he lofted a catch to deep cover. Corey Collymore, on debut, compiled an undefeated 13 with two boundaries. India had a rousing start to its reply, with M.S.K. Prasad and Ramesh reaching 50 off 10 overs. When Prasad and in-form Rahul Dravid were dismissed within five runs of each other, the West Indians sensed they were back in the match. But Ganguly and Ramesh ended those hopes. Courtney Walsh was the best West Indian bowler, taking one for 20 off seven overs. Collymore captured one for 29 off eight overs. The three-match series continues at the same venue Sunday, with the final game on Tuesday.
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