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Indian captain Virat Kohli and batsman Rohit Sharma celebrate after playing the winning shot during the 5th and final ODI cricket match against West Indies at Greenfield International Stadium, in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.[/caption]
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 1 (IANS): India thrashed the West Indies by nine wickets in the fifth and final One-Day International to clinch the series 3-1 here on Thursday.
India had won the first and fourth matches. The second match ended in an exciting draw while the visitors outplayed India in the third ODI to claim their first and only victory of the tour.
India played brilliantly in this match as both bowlers and batsmen did their job.
First the bowlers restricted the visitors to a paltry 104 then the top-order batsmen played handsomely to wrap up the issue in just 15 overs.
Chasing 105, India lost Shikhar Dhawan (6) in the second over. Pacer Oshane Thomas clean bowled the Delhi batsman with just six runs on the board.
Unperturbed by the fall of Dhawan's wicket, Rohit Sharma (63 not out) and skipper Virat Kohli (33 not out) played sensibly and guided India to a comfortable victory. Rohit also completed his 37th half-century.
Rohit slammed five boundaries and four sixes in his 56-ball innings while Kohli played 29 balls and hammered six boundaries.
Earlier, a brilliant bowling effort saw India bundle out West Indies for 104.
The Indian bowlers were on the mark right from the start. Some good line and maximum use of the conditions at the Greenfield International Stadium combined with some poor judgement by the West Indies batsmen helped the hosts create havoc in the visitors batting line-up.
Apart from skipper Jason Holder (25) and experienced all-rounder Marlon Samuels (24) no other West Indies batsmen applied themselves and went back cheaply.
For India, Ravindra Jadeja picked up four wickets while Jasprit Bumrah and Khaleel Ahmed took two wickets each. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav scalped one wicket each.
Opting to bat, the visitors suffered their first setback in the opening over when Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced a fine outswinger to claim his 99th ODI wicket in the form of Kieron Powell (0).
Jasprit Bumrah struck in the very next over when Shai Hope (16) misread the line of a delivery which came in sharply after pitching.
With the scoreboard reading 2/2, all eyes were on Samuels and the in form Shimron Hetmyer (9). But after adding 34 runs for the third wicket, Samuels, who was looking good at the crease, was caught by skipper Virat Kohli off Jadeja in the 12th over.
After three overs, Jadeja then picked up Hetmyer. The West Indian was adjudged leg before wicket when the scoreboard was reading 53.
Holder then arrived at the crease and played sensibly with Rovman Powell (16), who was also playing cautiously from the beginning.
Just when things seemed good in the middle, Powell was dismissed by pacer Khaleel Ahmed.
With five top players back in the pavilion, lower-order players -- Fabian Allen (4) Keemo Paul (5), Kemar Roach (5) and Oshane Thomas (0)-- failed and went back one after another.
Holder also went in the 26th over and West Indies got bundled out for 104 in just 32 overs.
Brief scores:
West Indies: 104 (Jason Holder 25, Marlon Samuels 24; Ravindra Jadeja 4/34)
India: 105/1 (Rohit Sharma 63 not out, Virat Kohli 33 not out; Oshane Thomas 1/33).