Sachin back to form; India crush Windies by 160 runs to win series

Vadodara, Jan 31 (UNI) The West Indies crashed to a huge 160-run defeat as they were bowled out for a paltry 181 off 41.4 overs, chasing India's mammoth score of 341 for three in the fourth and final one-day international at the IPCL ground here today.

With the win today, India wrapped up the series 3-1.

The architect of India's win was master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. Coming in at 148 for 2, halfway through the innings, Tendulkar scored a magnificent 76-ball hundred, reaching three figures off the final delivery with a push to midwicket.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni then fired a stunning 40 from just 20 deliveries, including three huge sixes, and there were sizeable contributions from Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid as Indian batsmen ran riot following Brian Lara's decision to field after winning the toss.

The slog overs of India innings was just carnage, with Dhoni and Tendulkar walloping 75 from 39 balls after two century partnerships earlier had set the game up for the Indians.

Set a record 342 for a win on Indian soil, the West Indian batting crumbled under the sustained pressure put on by the Indian bowlers.

The visitors started off on the backfoot when they lost their opener Chris Gayle in the third over for just six. It was a peach of a delivery from Ajit Agarkar which left the southpaw just enough to take the off stump.

West Indian batting mainstay Shivnaraine Chanderpaul was the next to go when he mistimed a pull and gave an easy catch to Harbhajan Singh at deep square leg of the bowling of Zaheer Khan for 14. West Indies were 32 for two then.

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