Nagpur, January 21:

Former skipper Sourav Ganguly celebrated his return to limited-overs cricket with an aggressive 98 that spurred India to a 14-run victory over the West Indies in the first one-day international here.

Opener Ganguly put India on course to 338/3 that the West Indies was unable to chase despite an unbeaten 149 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The West Indies innings ended on 324 for eight.

Returning to limited-overs internationals after 16 months, Ganguly pressed for inclusion in India’s squad for the upcoming World Cup by smashing three sixes and 11 fours in a 109-ball innings.

Ganguly was involved in two brisk stands. He put on 144 for the opening wicket with Gautam Gambhir, another left-hander making a comeback, and added 70 with Sachin Tendulkar (31) for the second wicket.

Ganguly clouted a delivery from Chris Gayle over long-off and the ball landed outside the stadium after clearing the spectator galleries.

Gambhir scored an aggressive 76-ball 69 including 10 fours. Mahendra Dhoni and captain Rahul Dravid added 119 runs for the unbroken fourth-wicket stand. Dhoni was on 62 while Dravid finished on 54 not out.

The West Indies got off to a rousing start through Chris Gayle and Chanderpaul’s 80-run stand. Gayle smacked 10 fours in a 46-ball 52. Marlon Samuels stroked a brisk 40 to put the West Indies back in the contest with a 73-run stand with Chanderpaul, who struck three sixes and 15 fours off 136 balls to post his fifth one-day century.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA

G Gambhir c Samuels b Gayle 69

S Ganguly run out 98

S Tendulkar lbw b Gayle 31

M Dhoni not out 62

R Dravid not out 54

Extras: 24 (b5, lb8, w11)

Total: 338/3 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-144, 2-214, 3-219

West Indies bowling: Bradshaw 6-0-43-0, Taylor 10-0-71-0, Samuels 10-0-53-0,

Powell 5-0-32-0, Gayle 9-1-51-2,

Bravo 4-0-41-0, Smith 6-0-34-0

WEST INDIES

C Gayle c Dravid b Harbhajan 52

S C’paul not out 149

R Morton b Harbhajan 8

M Samuels b Zaheer 40

B Lara st Dhoni b Tendulkar 31

D Bravo c Dhoni b Zaheer 17

D Smith b Agarkar 1

D Ramdin c Gambhir b Sreesanth 7

I Bradshaw run out 0

J Taylor not out 1

Extras: 18 (lb8, nb5, w5)

Total: 324/8 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-80, 2-102, 3-175, 4-241, 5-264, 6-269, 7-304, 8-319

India bowling: Zaheer 10-2-48-2,

Sreesanth 10-0-79-1, Agarkar 10-1-75-1, Harbhajan 10-0-60-2, Tendulkar 10-0-54-1