The first ODI between India and West Indies was played on 22nd July, Friday. The match played in Port of Spain, Trinidad went on thrillingly till the last over and the fans had to wait till the last ball to know the winner.
Chasing India's target of 309 runs, the hosts scored 294 runs in 49 overs for the loss of six wickets.
During the last over, the Caribbean team needed 15 runs from 6 deliveries to win. Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd who shared a partnership of 42 runs from 27 deliveries were at the crease. At one time it seemed that the West Indies team would win the match, but Mohammad Siraj and Sanju Samson together ruined their hopes.
Here is a ball-to-ball recap of the final and match-winning over:
- 1st ball: (No run)
Akeal Hosein couldn't score a run on Siraj's first ball of the over. He bowled a wide yorker on the fifth stump and kept the game for Indian fans interesting.
West Indies now had to score 15 runs in five balls.
- 2nd ball: (1 run)
Siraj's second ball reached near Akeal's feet towards the point and West Indies got a run from it.
They then needed 14 runs in four balls to win.
- 3rd ball: (4 runs)
Siraj tried to bowl a yorker near Shepherd's feet. However, it touched the inner edge of the bat and went for four runs towards the fine leg.
The hosts now needed 10 runs off three balls to win.
- 4th ball: (2 runs)
Siraj once again bowled Shepherd on the feet, on which West Indies got two more runs.
Now they needed eight runs in two balls to win.
- 5th ball: (wide and 2 runs)
Siraj made a big mistake this time and bowled the ball far outside the leg stump in an attempt of bowling the yorker. The ball was so out that if Samson had not stopped it by diving to his left behind the wicket, India's defeat was certain, as West Indies would have had a five-run advantage here and then they would have scored three runs in two balls to win.
On the next ball bowled, West Indies added two more runs.
West Indies now needed to score five runs from the last ball to win and four runs for Super over.
- Sixth ball: (1 run)
Siraj again bowled a yorker at Shepherd's feet on the last ball, which went to Samson behind the wicket. Team West Indies ended up getting just one run from the leg bye and India won the thrilling match.
