West Indies vs India 2023 Twitter Reactions

'E grade Windies ne 5 wicket gira diya' - Fans unhappy with India's struggle in 115-run chase against West Indies in 1st ODI

India grabbed a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against West Indies after winning the first match by five wickets.

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Akshay
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IND vs WI 1st ODI

IND vs WI 1st ODI (Source: Twitter)

IND vs WI 1st ODI IND vs WI 1st ODI (Source: Twitter)

The headline should have read, "India demolished West Indies," because the visitors had to chase a paltry score of 115 in 50 overs. However, a fightback from the Windies bowlers made the Indian batters sweat, but they ultimately had another disappointing outing. India won by five wickets at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, July 27 to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match ODI series.

Winning the toss and opting to field first, Hardik Pandya gave the first breakthrough for India by dismissing Windies opener Kalyle Mayers in the third over. Debutant Mukesh Kumar picked up his maiden ODI wicket by removing Alick Athanaze in the eighth over and Shardul Thakur sent back Brandon King in the very next over. Shimron Hetmyer and captain Shai Hope were then tasked with getting the team back on track.

However, a poor effort by Hetmyer off Ravindra Jadeja gave India another wicket and led to a batting collapse as Rohit continued with the spin attack. West Indies went from 88/3 in 15.4 overs to being all out for 114 in 23 overs as Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja tore through the Windies batting unit. Hope was the only one to put up some resistance, but the hosts' last 'hope' was dashed when Yadav trapped him in front of the stumps.

Ishan Kishan leads India to victory as India's experiment in batting order fails

In reply, India tried to mix up their batting order as they sent in Ishan Kishan along with Shubman Gill to open the innings. However, India's experiment did not go as they hoped as they struggled to chase down a target of 115. Gill continued his poor form on the West Indies tour, while Suryakumar Yadav once again failed to perform well in ODIs.

India lost five wickets in the process, but Kishan seized the opportunity and hit a crucial half-century. Following Thakur's departure, skipper Rohit stepped in at No. 7 and hammered a couple of boundaries to cross the finish line with Jadeja.

India began their ODI World Cup preparations on a positive note, while West Indies proved why they did not qualify for the marquee event. Having won the Test series 1-0 earlier, India now aims to whitewash the 50-over series. The two will clash at the same venue in the second ODI on Saturday (July 29).

Here's how fans reacted to India's win in the first ODI against West Indies: 

India West Indies vs India 2023 West Indies