Chennai, January 27:

Marlon Samuels and skipper Brian Lara lifted the West Indies to a three-wicket victory after pace bowler Dwayne Bravo’s four-wicket burst curbed India’s run spree on Saturday in the third limited-overs international.

Samuels’ authoritative 95-ball 98 and his 127-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Lara (83) helped the West Indies reach 270-7 in 43.4 overs in reply to India’s score of 268 from 48 overs.

Bravo returned career-best figures of 4-34 to stop India’s run-feast triggered by brisk half-centuries from opener Robin Uthappa (70), star batsman Sachin Tendulkar (60) and skipper Rahul Dravid (57). Bravo’s four dismissals were among India’s last seven wicket that tumbled for 36 runs.

Uthappa’s early belligerence and a brisk 88-run stand with Suresh Raina (23) boosted India’s run-rate to more than nine from the first 10 overs. Tendulkar and Dravid maintained the tempo, but it slumped after they fell in quick succession.

West Indies lost opener Chris Gayle for a first-ball duck and Runako Morton (1) before Samuels helped steady the innings through a 65-run partnership with opener Devon Smith (33), whose departure brought Lara into the middle.

The West Indies captain struck two sixes and 10 boundaries from 88 balls to take the initiative away from India. The victory brought West Indies back into the four-match series after losing the previous two games.

Samuels struck one six and 12 fours, but edged Ajit Agarkar (3-45) to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. Lara fell to a miscued off-drive off Ramesh Powar. West Indies were just 11 short of India’s total when Lara fell, but lost two more wickets before reaching the target.

SCOREBOARD:

INDIA

R Uthappa c Simmons b Gayle 70

G Gambhir c Simmons b Powell 0

S Raina c Lara b Taylor 23

S Tendulkar c Morton b Bravo 60

R Dravid c Emrit b Gayle 57

Y Singh c & b Bravo 10

D Karthik c Ramdin b Bravo 8

A Agarkar c Morton b Samuels 2

R Powar c & b Taylor 5

A Kumble not out 3

S Sreesanth c Morton b Bravo 1

Extras: 29 (14lb, 2nb, 13w)

Total: 268 (48 overs)

FoW: 1-7, 2-95, 3-126, 4-232, 5-237, 6-255, 7-255, 8-259, 9-265

West Indies bowling: Taylor 8-0-45-2, Powell 6-1-38-1, Emrit 5-0-34-0, Bravo 9-0-39-4, Gayle 10-0-57-2, Samuels 10-0-41-1

WEST INDIES

C Gayle lbw b Agarkar 0

D Smith c Dravid b Kumble 33

R Morton c Karthik b Agarkar 1

M Samuels c Karthik b Agarkar 98

B Lara c Uthappa b Powar 83

L Simmons c Uthappa b Powar 17

D Bravo c Raina b Sreesanth 4

D Ramdin not out 4

R Emrit not out 0

Extras: 30 (4b, 1lb, 25 w)

Total: 270/7 (43.4 overs)

FoW: 1-0, 2-27, 3-92, 4-219, 5-257, 6-261, 7-265

India bowling: Agarkar 10-1-45-3, Sreesanth 8.4-0-67-1, Kumble 10-0-67-1, Powar 10-0-53-2, Tendulkar 5-0-33-0