Sammy, Rampaul make it 2-1

West Indies needed a brilliant direct hit from their captain Darren Sammy (C) to dismiss a rampant Indian batsman Rohit Sharma to win the third one-day international at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad yesterday. Photo: AFP

Late order blasts from skipper Darren Sammy and Andre Russel, and a 4-wicket haul by pacer Ravi Rampaul meant that the West Indies kept the three-match ODI series against India alive with a tense 16-run victory in the third ODI at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera yesterday.
Chasing 261 to win, the home team were in early trouble as the pivotal duo of captain Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir went for golden ducks in Rampaul's first over, the second of the innings. Virat Kohli was soon to follow with the score on 43, and Parthiv Patel, who battled for a while against disciplined West Indian bowling, fell with the score on 79.
The scene was set for the in-form Rohit Sharma after Suresh Raina's dismissal with the score on 84 and Ravindra Jadeja's fall at 105. He then built a momentum-changing 91-run partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin in 19 overs, making sure that India were abreast of the required rate. It was however, too big an ask as Ashwin fell with the score on 196 and Sharma followed 20 runs later to a run-out engineered by Sammy. Tailenders Abhimanyu Mithun and Umesh Yadav briefly threatened a miracle with some lusty blows, adding 28 runs from 3.1 overs, but it all came to an end when man-of-the-match Rampaul got his fourth wicket, that of Mithun leg-before.
Earlier, skipper Sammy and Russell plundered 79 runs off the last 34 balls to help the West Indies post 260-5 in the third one-day international against India on Monday.
Sammy smashed two sixes and five fours in his 17-ball 41 not out while Russell cracked two sixes and four boundaries in his unbeaten 40 off 18 balls as the tourists set a challenging target for India in the day-night match.
The West Indies skipper's sixes came in the penultimate over off seamer Mithun before Russell hit paceman Yadav for two fours and a six in the last over.
The West Indies scored 93 runs in the last seven overs after being put in to bat, thanks to Sammy and Russell.
Marlon Samuels earlier steadied the innings with his 22nd half-century in one-dayers after the West Indies lost openers Lendl Simmons and Danza Hyatt on 42 runs.
Samuels added 55 runs for the third wicket with Darren Bravo, who retired due to a hamstring injury. His best came in the 19th over when he hammered Yadav for a six over long-on and two fours.
Denesh Ramdin and Kieron Pollard then put on 55 for the fourth wicket before both fell in the space of four runs.
Pollard fell to a superb catch by Ravindra Jadeja, who ran in from long-off to hold the ball at deep extra cover.