Dhoni leads India to victory

Tourists move 2-1 up in four-match series

Last updated: 4th July 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Dhoni leads India to victory

Dhoni: Match-winning knock

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One Day International
St Lucia
West Indies 186-7 Innings Complete (R R Sarwan 62) v India 159-4
India beat West Indies by 6 wkts (D/L Method)

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck an unbeaten 46 from 32 balls to lead his side to a six-wicket victory in the third one-day international in St Lucia.

It gives the tourists an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series with the teams returning to the Beausejour Stadium on Sunday for the fourth and final match.

West Indies made 186 for seven from 27 overs after rain delayed the start and then returned to further shorten the innings after the match was initially reduced to 41 overs per side.

Set 197 to win off their 27 overs via the Duckworth/Lewis method, India were on top when another sharp shower led to a revised target of 159 from 22 overs.

But with Dhoni at the crease the tourists were always likely to get home, although 11 were still required off the final over bowled by Jerome Taylor.

Opening stand

However, Dhoni clubbed a six over mid-wicket to set up the win, with Yusuf Pathan hitting the winning run off the penultimate ball.

Openers Dinesh Karthik and Gautam Gambhir had put on 84 for the first wicket - the former making 47 off 43 balls before being run out by Ravi Rampaul.

Gambhir fell in the 16th over when he was caught behind off spinner Sulieman Benn, the left-hander having struck just two boundaries in his innings of 44 from 38 deliveries.

Yuvraj Singh (2) and Rohit Sharma (11) then fell cheaply as the pressure increased but Dhoni kept a cool head to see his side home.

Earlier, Chris Gayle got his side off to another flying start by hitting all 27 runs on the board before edging Ashish Nehra behind at the start of the fourth over.

Ramnaresh Sarwan was the mainstay of the Windies innings either side of the downpour, adding 51 with Runako Morton (22) and 47 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (15).

But Sarwan was the fourth wicket to fall in the 21st over, run out for 62 off 59 balls, and the innings lost vital impetus.

Brothers Dwayne (14) and Darren Bravo (21) added useful runs but both fell to Nehra, who returned excellent figures of three for 21 off five overs, while Denesh Ramdin struck a four and a maximum in his six-ball cameo.

But with conditions favouring the batting side in a Duckworth/Lewis orientated conclusion, it was India who squeezed home.