Chris Gayle produced a typically a dazzling display of big blows, but his first fireworks were overshadowed by
Virat Kohli, who reached an undefeated century to help India close the ODI
series in Port of Spain.
Three days after he overtook
Brian Lara to become the West Indies' top scorer in the format, Gayle scuttled
India's bowlers by a 41-ball 72, innings containing eight fours and five sixes.
His attack came to an end when he
hit Khaleel Ahmed with Kohli midway, the left-hander, with a shirt with the
number 301 on the back to mark his number of appearances, resting his helmet on
top of the handle before holding his bat against the crowd while returning to
the ward.
The West Indies finished 240-7
after the rain reduced their innings to 35 overs, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern
method setting India's target to 255, a score they reached with six wickets and
15 balls to spare thanks to Kohli's undefeated 114.
The captain's hit on tour, plus
65 of 41 Shreyas Iyer's, means India won the three-match 2-0 series after the
first match was eliminated due to bad weather.
The West Indies had India in
trouble at 92-3 in the 13th of their response, Fabian Allen taking two wickets
in three balls while eliminating Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant.
Kohli and Iyer led the recovery
after the double setback, their 120-run partnership transformed the match as
the latter matched Gayle's five-sixes before Jason Holder caught him outside
Kemar Roach.
Kedar Jadhav contributed 19-runs,
but it was Kohli who ended up with the West Indies, reaching consecutive limits
against Carlos Brathwaite while following his 120 on Sunday with another
impressive ton.
The teams will face off in two
Test matches, the first of which will begin on August 22, 2019. For More Latest Cricket News, Visit Cricmela.com.
