Ganguly sparkles as India win
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