Darekar’s four-wicket haul helps India A hammer Windies

St. George's (Grenada): Akshay Darekar’s heroics with the ball helped India A beat West Indies by huge margin of 108 runs in the second one-day match here on Friday.  The Maharashtra left-arm spinner took a four-wicket haul that bundled West Indies A out for 76 off 27.1 overs while chasing India’s paltry target of 185 for victory on Friday.

They were undermined Darekar, who claimed four for 16 while pacers Ashok Dinda (2-4) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-18), along with off-spinner Jalaj Saxena (2-23) all finished with two wickets apiece.

Right-hander Jason Mohammed was the only batsman to show any fight as he top-scored with 26 while Test opener Adrian Barath (13) and senior teammate Assad Fudadin (12) were the only other batsmen in double figures.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma hit 39 from 73 balls and Saxena, 35 from 56 balls, to drive India A to 184 for seven off their 50 overs, after the visitors won the toss and batted.

In pursuit of an uncomplicated target, the West Indies A suffered two major blows in the first over from which they never recovered.

Dinda removed left-handed Test opener Kieran Powell without scoring to a catch by Shikhar Dhawan at second slip and followed up by comprehensively bowling out-of-form West Indies Test vice-captain Kirk Edwards, also without scoring.

The right-handed Barath sparkled briefly with a rasping square cut for four off Kumar but fell to the same bowler in the sixth over, taken by Dhawan at slip with the score on 14.

Two overs later with four runs added, the left-handed Jonathan Carter was caught behind without scoring, driving at Kumar, to leave the hosts in turmoil at 18 for four.

Mohammed and Fudadin then posted the biggest partnership of the innings with 24 for the sixth wicket, a stand that seemed to be repairing the damage.

But the left-handed Fudadin perished via a catch at mid-wicket by Manoj Tiwary off Darekar and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich (7) joined Mohammed to add a further 19 for the sixth wicket before he too fell to a catch at mid-wicket off Darekar.

Mohammed faced 47 balls and struck two fours but his resistance came to an end when he was bowled by Saxena in the 25th over at 71 for seven. The end came swiftly as the last four wickets fell for five runs.

The decisive final game is Sunday at the same venue. (IANS)