West Indies eliminated as India continue unbeaten campaign

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West Indies have been eliminated from the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, after losing out to India by 125 runs at Old Trafford.

On a beautifully clear, hot day at Old Trafford, Virat Kohli looked to have hit the jackpot when he won the toss and opted to bat first on a hard, flat track, but a cracking bowling performance from the Windies seamers restricted India to 268/7.

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Kohli himself was the star of the show for his side with the willow, playing a fluent 72 before planting a tame pull into the hands of short mid-wicket. The subsequent overs saw Kemar Roach (3/36) and Jason Holder (2/33) squeeze with expert precision, before Sheldon Cottrell (2/50) was tasked with combatting India’s middle-order hitters in the latter stages.

He managed to snare Hardik Pandya for a 38-ball 46, and some probing lengths prevented MS Dhoni from reaching his brutal, finisher-potential, as the 37-year old prevailed unscathed for 56 from 61 deliveries.

Windies floundered in their pursuit of 269, and early scalps from the rampant Indian seamers left Holder’s team with a steep uphill climb. Mohammad Shami followed up his magnificent hat-trick against Afghanistan with another vital contribution, dismissing Chris Gayle (6) in the fifth over before following up with the wicket of Shai Hope (5) in the seventh.

Of the West Indies batters, only Sunil Ambris – making his first appearance of CWC19 – and Nicholas Pooran put up any sort of fight in their side’s response. The former departed for 31 after being pinned lbw by Pandya, while the latter stuck around for 50 balls before falling to Kuldeep Yadav for 28.

Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets in as many balls to see the end of Carlos Brathwaite and Fabian Allen, and tail was cleaned up with relative ease as India secured the win by 125 runs.

-icc-cricket.com

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