India vs West Indies 3rd Highlights: Gill misses out on maiden ton as India complete series whitewash

Trinidad, July 28: Shubman Gill-led the way with an unbeaten 98 as India completed a series whitewash over West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday.

With rain playing spoilsport - not once, but twice, India completely outplayed Windies to pick up a crushing 119 run (DLS) win. With this India have now clinched 12th straight ODI series win over the Caribbean nation.

India vs West Indies 3rd ODI: Full List of Award Winners, Man of the Match, Post-Match Presentation, Stats

Heading into the final match, India had already wrapped up the series 2-0. But unlike the first two matches where the games went down to the wire, India clinched a cruising win in the final match.

After electing to bat first, skipper Dhawan and his opening partner Shubman Gill hit half-centuries to hand India a steady start. The visitors reached 115/1 against hosts Windies in 24 overs, before rain played spoilsport and the covers came on.

Dhawan and Gill both notched up half-centuries to put up an opening stand of 113 off 138 deliveries. For both captain Dhawan and Gill this was their second half-century off the series. Meanwhile for opener Gill, not only was this his second fifty of the series, it was his second ODI fifty as well. This was the pair’s second hundred plus partnership this ODI series. Dhawan, who hammered 97 in the opening game of the series, hit a 74-ball 58, before Hayden Walsh handed West Indies the breakthrough. Dhawan lost his wicket as he played against the turn to a googly from Walsh and West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran picked up an easy catch at mid-wicket.

The skipper’s innings was studded with seven fours. Meanwhile, Gill brought up his half-century off 60 deliveries, which included three fours and a six.

When rain stopped play, Gill was on 51 off 65, while Shreyas Iyer was on two off six.

Unlike the opening stand, Iyer and Gill scored at a quicker pace following the rain disruption, to add 86 off 58 deliveries for the second-wicket partnership. But Akeal Hosein came to the hosts rescue, removing Iyer for 44 off 34. India lost two quick wickets, as Suryakumar Yadav (8) quickly followed Iyer back.

As Samson joined Gill in the middle, the opener was cruising towards his maiden hundred. But Lady Luck was not on Gill’s side as he walked off the field on 98 off 98 after rain interrupted play once again and that was the end of India’s innings.

With a revised target of 257 off 35 overs on the board, Windies got off to a shaky start. While Deepak Hooda bowled a maiden first over, Mohammed Siraj picked up two in his first. Siraj picked up a first ball wicket, removing Kyle Mayers for a duck, while Brooks too departed for a duck. Windies was reduced to 1/2 after two overs.

Shai Hope and Brandon King attempted to recover the innings, as the pair put up a stand of 47 off 50 for the third wicket. But Yuzvendra Chahal came to India’s rescue, removing Hope (22), before Axar Patel pocketed the big wicket of King (42) to reduce WI to 74/4 in 14 overs.

Chahal once again led the bowling attack as he finished off the tailend to bowl Windies out for 137. While Chahal pocketed four, Siraj and Shardul picked up two each. Axar Patel and Prasidh Krishna picked up one each as the India bowlers once again put up a comprehensive show to hand India a comfortable win. With this series wrap, Dhawan completed his first series whitewash as a captain.