For the second game in a row, Team India won a last-over thriller against the West Indies. This win – by 2 wickets with only 2 balls to spare in a run-chase of 312 in the second ODI, on Sunday – meant India took an unassailable 2-0 series lead with only one ODI to go, clinching the series.
Starting from 2007, this is now India’s 12th consecutive bilateral ODI series victory over the West Indies – a new world record, going past Pakistan’s 11 consecutive ODI series wins over Zimbabwe between 1996 and 2021. Pakistan also have won 10 consecutive bilateral ODI series wins over West Indies, from 1999 to 2022.
Team India has won both ODI series under Shikhar Dhawan’s captaincy
This was also a special conquest for India’s interim skipper on this tour, Shikhar Dhawan. The left-handed opener had led India to an ODI series win last year in Sri Lanka and now has added to his tally.
Dhawan, who had hit a match-winning 97 in the first ODI, uploaded a video of Team India’s wild and ecstatic celebration after the series-winning coup on Sunday, which was made possible by a late blitz from number 7 Axar Patel who hammered 64* runs off 35 balls to convert what seemed like an imminent loss to a thrilling triumph.
“Talent wins game but teamwork and intelligence wins championship! Kudos to team for the amazing face-off!” Shikhar Dhawan captioned his video. Dhawan led the celebration and got all his teammates involved.
Here watch Team India’s cheerful celebration after registering a series win over West Indies with victory in the second ODI:
Talent wins game but teamwork and intelligence wins championship!
Kudos to team for the amazing face-off!
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 25, 2022
Kudos to team for the amazing face-off! 
While Dhawan, the Player of the Match in the first ODI, failed in the second ODI, Shubman Gill continued his good touch to score 43 runs before a crucial 99-run stand between Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson, both of whom registered their respective fifties, kept them afloat. However, after their dismissals, it was the Axar Patel show that stole the limelight.
Dhawan was effusive in praise for the complete team performance.
“It was a great team performance. Boys didn’t lose the self belief, that is amazing. Iyer, Sanju, Axar everyone was amazing, Even Avesh came out in his debut game and scored those 11 important runs. Thanks to IPL, they perform on a huge stage,” the India skipper said after the match.
“I felt that we bowled nicely. They got off to a good start. Hope and Pooran batted well. We thought if they could do it, we knew that we could do it. We started a little slow. Shubman batted well. The Iyer-Samson partnership made a huge difference. There was a run-out. But these things happen. Boys are learning. Thanks to the support staff as well. They have been doing a tremendous job.”
The third ODI, a dead rubber, is slated for Wednesday at the same venue.
