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First ODI: Sharma guides India to easy win over WI

Last updated on: June 07, 2011 01:59 IST

A spectacular 68 by Rohit Sharma helped India to a comfortable four-wicket win over West Indies in the first One-day International in Port of Spain on Monday.

- Scorecard

Chasing a modest target (215), the visitors inched home with a whopping 31 balls to spare. The win gave India a 1-0 lead going into the second match at the same venue on Wednesday.

Sharma's 75-ball knock was inclusive of three hits to the fence and one over it.

It was the 24-year-old's sixth ODI fifty. Sharma hadn't scored a half century in his last 12 innings -- his last significant contribution with the blade being a strokeful 69 against Sri Lanka at Dambulla last June, almost a year back.

Shikhar Dhawan pitched in with a fluent 51, his first ODI half century, up the order.

Ravi Rampaul and Anthony Martin picked up two wickets apiece in what was an inspiring bowling effort for the West Indies.

However, the hosts had simply not put enough runs on the board.

Earlier, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels scored hard-earned half centuries as West Indies struggled to a modest 214 for nine.

Opting to bat, West Indies witnessed a wobbly start to their innings as they lost their first three wickets scoring just 59 runs in 18.2 overs.

But Sarwan and Samuels then paired up to resurrect the innings with a 82-run fourth-wicket partnership that came of 118 balls.

While Sarwan's 56 came off 94 balls and was studded with only five boundaries, Samuels took 75 deliveries to score his 55. He hit three fours and two sixes.

However, just when it was time to accelerate both Sarwan and Samuels gave away their wickets but not before registering half centuries to their names.

The stand between Sarwan and Samuels was the only silver lining in the West Indies innings as the hosts scored 73 runs in the last 12 overs losing as many as six wickets.

Down the order, Dwayne Bravo tried his bit to up the scoring rate with a 20-ball 22 while opener Kirk Edwards (21) was the next best scorer for the Caribbean side.

For India, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh relished at the low and slow Queen's Park Oval pitch with figures of three wickets for 32, while Praveen Kumar (2/37), Munaf Patel (2/47) and captain Suresh Raina (2/23) shared six wickets among them.