November 25
Samuels, Lawson pulverize India as West Indies clinch one-day series

VIJAYAWADA, India: Marlon Samuels cracked a swashbuckling unbeaten 108 and fellow-Jamaican Jermaine Lawson grabbed four quick wickets as West Indies beat India by 135 runs to clinch their seven-match one-day series on Sunday.

After Samuels had scored his maiden one-day century, Lawson captured a career-best four for 57 to help West Indies dismiss India for a paltry 180 in 36.5 overs after the tourists had amassed 315 for six. West Indies won the series 4-3.

West Indies were reduced to 16 for two after being asked to bat first by India's stand-in skipper Rahul Dravid but Ramnaresh Sarwan (83) and Wavell Hinds (58) rescued them before Samuels launched a vicious onslaught in his 75-ball knock.

He hammered 11 fours and five sixes. India came in to bat with great hopes from in-form opener Virender Sehwag in the absence of captain Saurav Ganguly due to a back injury. But Lawson dismissed him early and then went on to pick up three more scalps in a 7-0-41-4 opening spell.

Only left-hander Yuvraj Singh put up any resistance with a 67-ball 68 including seven fours and a six. West Indies had started shakily with opener Chris Gayle getting a life in the second over when he was dropped by Sanjay Bangar at slip off medium-pacer Ajit Agarkar.

Javagal Srinath removed Gayle soon after for five, when he drove uppishly to Mohammad Kaif at cover. Left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, promoted to number three, fell for six when he tried to loft Agarkar over the infield and managed only to lob a catch to Murali Kartik at mid-off.

West Indies were in dire straits but Hinds and Sarwan rebuilt the innings with some sharp running between wickets. Hinds pulled Agarkar to the mid-wicket fence for his first boundary and then drove him through the covers in the same over.

He raised his 50, off 56 balls, cutting occasional spinner Sehwag for four. He was clean bowled by Sehwag for 58 when he tried to flick a faster ball to the mid-wicket region.

Guyanese Sarwan took over, bringing up his fifth one-day half-century and hitting spinners Kartik and Sarandeep Singh for boundaries. He departed for 83, trapped lbw by Agarkar with a ball that nipped in sharply from outside off.

But just when it seemed India were clawing back into the game, Samuels stole the show and took his team to a huge total. Samuels, 21, blazed in the final overs smashing India's bowlers at will, including Srinath for 21 runs in one over, and helping his team raise 120 off the last 10 overs.

He raced to his maiden one-day century, off only 73 balls, in the 50th over with a single to mid-wicket. Samuels celebrated by raising his arms and waving a red handkerchief that had been given to him by Australian Test captain Steve Waugh.

Paceman Lawson backed up Samuels's blistering batting display with a fiery opening spell to reduce the home side to 67 for four on a docile pitch.

Lawson, included in the team because of injuries to Mervyn Dillon and Pedro Collins, first got Sehwag for a 15-ball 12, beating him with pace and having him caught in the slips with a rising delivery outside off stump.

Left-hander Dinesh Mongia and Vangipurappu Laxman added 33 for the second wicket before Lawson had Laxman edging to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs for 22.

The 20-year-old then dismissed Mongia for 20 with a swinging yorker that uprooted his off-stump and followed it up by having Dravid (3) drive uppishly to mid-wicket, where Sarwan took a brilliant one-handed catch diving to his right.

Left-hander Yuvraj and Kaif looked to steady the innings but medium-pacer Corey Collymore had Kaif (10) drag a ball onto his stumps and then trapped Sanjay lbw for two.

Yuvraj went on to get his ninth one-day 50 in a lost cause as wickets kept tumbling at the other end.