KINGSTON: Yuvraj Singh set India up for a 20-run victory over West Indies in the first One-day International (ODI) on Friday with a boundary-laced 131.

Yuvraj struck 10 fours and seven sixes from 102 balls in his 12th ODI hundred to propel India to 339-6, after the visitors chose to bat in the opening match of their four-match series. Opener Dinesh Karthik scored a career-best 67 off 77 balls, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni made 41, and Yusuf Pathan got 40 not out to boost the visitors’ total.

India then dismissed the home team for 319 to complete victory with 11 balls to spare. Shivanrine Chanderpaul hit three fours and three sixes in the top score of 63 from 59 balls, and several other West Indies batsman got starts, but failed to carry on. Ramnaresh Sarwan supported with 45, Runako Morton with 42, and West Indies captain Chris Gayle added 37. Ashish Nehra took 3-49 and Yusuf Pathan took 3-56.

India were put on their heels, when West Indies started their chase confidently with a stand of 65 for the first wicket between Gayle and Morton. But Nehra removed Gayle in the 10th over, and Pathan snared Morton in the 16th to leave West Indies on 100-2. India saw West Indies get back on track, as Sarwan and Chanderpaul put on 51 for the third wicket. But RP Singh’s ran out Sarwan in the 25th over, leaving the home team needing further 189.

Earlier, when Yuvraj entered, India had stumbled to 32-2 in the eighth over, following the dismissals of Gautam Gambhir (13) in the fifth over and Rohit Sharma (four) in the eighth. But Yuvraj joined Karthik, and the left-hander played a breath-taking array of strokes to reach his hundred from 88 balls, when he steered Taylor to third man for a single. He added 135 for the third wicket with Karthik, who was caught behind off Dave Bernard Jr in the 29th over.

The 37th over was particularly memorable for Yuvraj, when he struck Taylor for two sixes in an over that cost 21. But Yuvraj was slightly hobbled by a Taylor yorker, and eventually tamely surrendered, when he was caught behind off Dwayne Bravo in the 39th over glancing a leg-side delivery. Bravo claimed 2-66 to be the best of the West Indies’ bowlers.

The victory gives India a 1-0 lead in the series which continues on Sunday at the same venue before the final two matches are contested next Friday and Sunday at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA

D Karthik c Ramdin b Bernard 67

G Gambhir c Bravo b Taylor 13

R Sharma c Bravo b Baker 4

Y Singh c Ramdin b Bravo 131

MS Dhoni run out 41

R Jadeja c Ramdin b Bravo 0

Y Pathan not out 40

H Singh not out 21

Extras: 22 (b1, lb8, w10, nb3)

Total: 339/6 (50 Overs)

FoW: 1-25, 2-32, 3-167, 4-253, 5-253, 6-298

West Indies bowling: Taylor 10-1-74-1,

Baker 9-0-62-1, Bravo 10-0-66-2,

Bernard 8-0-50-1, Benn 10-0-50-0,

Gayle 3-0-28-0

WEST INDIES

C Gayle c Harbhajan b Nehra 37

R Morton c Dhoni b Pathan 42

R Sarwan run out 45

S Chanderpaul c Jadeja b Pathan 63

DJ Bravo c Rohit b Ishant 8

DM Bravo c RP Singh b Harbhajan 19

J Taylor lbw b Pathan 21

D Ramdin c Harbhajan b Nehra 29

D Bernard c Rohit b Nehra 19

S Benn b RP Singh 7

L Baker not out 0

Extras: 29 (b4, lb4, w19, nb2)

Total: 319 (48.1 Overs)

FoW: 1-65, 2-100, 3-151, 4-188, 5-224, 6-241,

7-250, 8-294, 9-318

India bowling: RP Singh 7-0-44-1,

Nehra 7.1-1-49-3, I Sharma 5-0-38-1,

Jadeja 7-1-34-0, Pathan 8-0-56-3,

Harbhajan 10-0-56-1, Yuvraj 4-0-34-0