Antigua: Though Indian bowlers bowled splendidly to restrict West Indies 189/9 in their allotted 50 overs, the high profile Indian batting line-up failed to rise to the occasion and were all out for 178 runs in the fourth ODI played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua on Sunday.
Blaming the batsmen for the 11-run loss, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said, “We bowled really well to restrict them to 189. Our shot selection wasn't up to the mark. Losing crucial wickets at crucial stages cost us the game. You've got to keep up the momentum through the game. But we must give credit to the West Indies bowlers. They created those dot balls that induced those mistakes. It felt a bit two-paced. Apart from that I don't think there was anything else in the pitch. The bowlers were on the mark and the fielders as well. But with the bat we faltered and that can happen in this game. We just have to put this behind us and come back fresh for the next game.”
Meanwhile, West Indies skipper Jason Holder said, “I am extremely pleased with the guys. It took a big effort. Credit must go to all the bowlers. I thought the fielding was very supportive. We knew we could beat India, just needed some application. Throughout the series we've spoken about taking new-ball wickets. India's top order has been doing well. It's all about getting Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat as soon as possible. I want to make a special mention of Kesrick Williams. He showed a lot of maturity in his second game, showed a lot of heart as well. However, batting is an area of concern. We were thinking 250 was the par score on this ground.”
“I always believe in myself. I thought I was doing fairly well in the series so far. Only cricicism was at the back end. Roddy Estwick told me not to try too many things and just stick to my plans, and that's what I did,” he added.