It’s been a year of contrasting fortunes for the two teams in the ODI format, and they have much to make up for in tomorrow’s contest in St Lucia. India have had a successful 2009 in the 50-over game, with series wins in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. An unassailable lead with a win in St Lucia will boost their chances of wrapping another series away from home, making amends for their debacle in the World Twenty20 and ending their hectic few weeks ahead of a two-month break on a high. West Indies have been disappointing this year, winning four ODIs and losing eight, but have the momentum going into a crunch game with a comprehensive win in Kingston to level the series. However, they are under as much pressure to perform at home. A 2-1 lead, and more so a series win, will do a lot towards easing that burden and leaving them a confident outfit as they take on Bangladesh in their next series.

The home team’s performance in the second ODI marked a major improvement, particularly in its bowling. West Indies found a gem in Ravi Rampaul, who swung the ball both ways, inducing the batsmen to make mistakes, while Jerome Taylor was the pick of the West Indies bowlers. He claimed the wickets of Dinesh Karthik, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, each of whom had a role to play in smashing 339 in the series opener. Though they didn’t have a big score to chase, the West Indies batsmen ensured their team outclassed India in every field, with Chris Gayle and Runako Morton deciding the game even before a wicket fell with a century opening stand.

India’s bowlers were indisciplined in the first game, bowling 19 wides and two front-foot no-balls, and the trait seemed to have rubbed off on their batsmen. Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj, each got out chasing wide deliveries, while the tail, with the exception of RP Singh, who added 101 with Dhoni to save India’s blushes, was hapless. Dhoni, at the end of the game, pointed out that over-reliance on Yuvraj, who has scores of 131 and 35 in the series, was not going to win India the series. And with an important game coming up, India’s top order will have to step up, with greater preparedness to counter the short ball.

Third One-Day International (ODI) Cricket match between India vs West Indies (Ind vs WI) is scheduled at St Lucia on 3rd July from 09:30 local time (14:30 GMT). Live Cricket Match and Hasan Online Sports will publish live links for watch free online tv streaming and embed multimedia player to stream the match live for free.

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India gained a 1-0 lead in the four-ODI series against West Indies but there was plenty of scope for improvement in the performance which resulted in a 20-run win at Sabina Park on Friday. MS Dhoni did not appear to be a happy man as he shook hands with the West Indian batsmen after the game. The victory was largely due to Yuvraj Singh’s brilliance, his 131 off 102 balls making up for the loss of early wickets and ensuring that a wayward bowling attack had enough to defend.

The Indian top-order remained suspect against the short ball with Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma falling to miscued pulls. Even Yuvraj and Dinesh Karthik succeeded only after surviving nervous moments against the rising delivery. It was only after the ball grew older on a slow pitch, and Jerome Taylor gave way to less threatening bowlers, that India began to dominate. The Indian bowling was also far from satisfactory; the problems caused by the inability to contain the West Indian batsmen were compounded by an unacceptable number of extras. India’s bowlers conceded 19 of the 29 extras through wides and bowled two front-foot no-balls.

West Indies did well to get so close to a monstrous target but they could have done better and pulled off a stunning chase if one of their top-order batsmen played a long innings. Chris Gayle, Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul all made valuable contributions to keep West Indies in the game but got out just as they were beginning to dominate India. The pressure on the Indian bowlers, therefore, dissipated and left the lower-order batsmen with too much to do.

That West Indies were chasing a total of 340 was down to their bowlers indiscipline in line and length and their inability to fight back once the Indian batsmen raised the tempo. They will have to reduce the number of loose deliveries drastically to avoid another hiding on Sunday.

Second One-Day International (ODI) Cricket match between India vs West Indies (Ind vs WI) is scheduled at Kingston on 28th June from 09:30 local time (14:30 GMT). Live Cricket Match and Hasan Online Sports will publish live links for watch free online tv streaming and embed multimedia player to stream the match live for free.

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West Indies and India prepare for the first of four one-day internationals, in Jamaica, after extremely contrasting World Twenty20 campaigns in England. India entered the tournament as one of the favourites but underachieved tremendously, losing all their matches in the Super Eights stage. As a result of their second-round elimination, India reached the Caribbean even before their hosts, who exceeded expectations by qualifying for the semi-finals, where they lost to Sri Lanka.

For India, a team shaken by defeat, injury and fatigue, this series is the last before a long break until the Champions Trophy in September. They will do well to focus on the task at hand, rather than think about the lengthy rest their tired bodies deserve. India are weakened for they are without Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina and Zaheer Khan, four key players either injured or resting because of their hectic schedule in recent months. Their unavailability, though, opens up rare opportunities for players on the fringes of the national squad such as Dinesh Karthik, S Badrinath and M Vijay because the Indian one-day side has been a settled unit for a while now. It also gives others, such as Ashish Nehra, a new lease of life for few would have expected him to return after four years on the sidelines.

First One-Day International (ODI) Cricket match between India vs West Indies (Ind vs WI) is scheduled at Kingston on 26th June from 09:30 local time (14:30 GMT). Live Cricket Match and Hasan Online Sports will publish live links for watch free online tv streaming and embed multimedia player to stream the match live for free.

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West Indies coach John Dyson has said his players will have to maintain high intensity levels to ensure success against India in the four-match ODI series, the first of which is at Sabina Park on Friday.

“We will play aggressive cricket, we will play to win as always, and we will aim for consistency of performance,” Dyson said. “There is a lot of cricket in any calendar year, but that’s what professional cricket’s about. They earn good money from playing cricket and it’s part of the job.”

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West Indies may have beaten India in the ICC World Twenty20 by using the short-pitched strategy against the batsmen but former fast bowler Michael Holding believes the absence of Fidel Edwards will make it difficult for the hosts to successfully deploy the plan again during the upcoming four-ODI series. Edwards’ lower back injury, sustained during the tournament in England, kept him out of the 13-man squad for the first two one-dayers in Jamaica.

“Everyone realises that Fidel is the quickest,” Holding told Cricinfo. “He can intimidate and will be crucial to use bouncers as a strategy. Without him, though, it will be tough to bowl that kind of short-pitched intimidatory bowling. Jerome Taylor has not been all that fit in recent times. Since the first Test against England in Jamaica, he has not been 100%.”

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West Indies captain Chris Gayle has said that his team is determined to put the ICC World Twenty20 semi-final exit behind them and rebound against the Indians in the four-match ODI series in Jamaica and St Lucia. Gayle cautioned that the tourists will be out for revenge after their disappointing display in the World Twenty20, which included a defeat to West Indies in the Super Eights.

The Indians have a poor recent record in the West Indies, including a 4-1 defeat in the bilateral series in 2006 and a forgettable performance in the World Cup the following year, which led to a first-round exit.

“Both teams are looking to win and they (Indians) are trying to prove something against us,” Gayle said. “At the same time we want to get more wins under our belt and continue our development. It’s going to be a tough series but we’re excited about it and have fun and play some good cricket all around.”

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