West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard blasted 10 sixes, but his power-packed maiden century was not enough to avert a 34-run defeat against India in the fifth and final one-day international on Sunday.
Pollard’s (119) blistering 110-ball knock took his team close to the 268-run victory target, but apart from Andre Russell (53), none of his batting colleagues could offer much support as the West Indies folded for 233 in 44.1 overs.
With only No. 11 batsman Anthony Martin for company and 35 runs still required off the last six overs, Pollard tried to hit Suresh Raina for his 11th six, but he found Ajinkya Rahane in the deep.
India won the five-match series 4-1.
The West Indies had lost opener Lendl Simmons to the first ball of their innings and they slumped to 78 for five, before an 89-run stand between Pollard and Russell brought them back into the match.
Pollard tried to hit his way out of trouble, but wickets continued to tumble around him. He was fortunate to get his maiden century which came when Virat Kohli dropped him for a four in the 43rd over.
Earlier, Manoj Tiwary (104) struck his maiden century, before retiring hurt with cramps, while Kohli (80) became the highest one-day international run-getter this year as India posted a challenging 267 for six on the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium’s low and slow track.
Gautam Gambhir, leading in absence of Virender Sehwag, won the toss and opted to bat first, but the hosts were rattled early, losing two wickets in the first three deliveries.
Kemar Roach’s second delivery kept low and hit Rahane’s pad and then No. 3 Parthiv Patel dragged the next delivery on to his stumps to become the second India batsman out for a golden duck.
Tiwary, playing his first match of the series, not only denied Roach a hat-trick, but he also decided to make the most of the opportunity that came his way.
The right-handed batsman added 83 runs with Gambhir (31) to steady the innings and shared a more fluent 117-run partnership with Kohli to lay the foundations for a big total.
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