IND vs WI 2023: 3 moments that created a buzz among fans in 3rd ODI
India produced a five-star performance in the third and final one-dayer against the West Indies (WI) at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, to seal the series 2-1. The visitors posted a mammoth 351 on the board and that proved to be just too much for the hosts as the latter lost by a staggering 200 runs.
Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, and Hardik Pandya all chipped in with crucial fifties to ensure that the Men in Blue got to the gigantic first-innings score. After their win in the second ODI, the hosts had promised to show some fight with the bat. But that wasn't to be as the Indian bowlers were just too good.
Mukesh Kumar made early inroads by picking up three wickets in his first spell. Shardul Thakur then proved why he is deemed as a genuine wicket-taker with four scalps of his own to help bundle out the hosts for 151. On that note, let's take a look at three moments that grabbed the attention of fans:
#3 Sanju Samson's powerful start
How's that for a start?!
@IamSanjuSamson
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Pumping leg-spinner Yannic Cariah straight over long-on's head for a six off just the second ball he faced, Sanju Samson proved that he meant business. He smashed a total of four sixes in his sensational knock of 51 off just 41 deliveries.
With such an innings, Samson has shown that he has the ability to become a reliable middle-order batter in the absence of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. Fans also seem to be backing Samson to make the Asia Cup and the World Cup squad after showing his consistency in ODIs.
#2 Virat Kohli being the substitute fielder
Virat Kohli is on the field! 🤩🇮🇳
📸 Fancode
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Star batter Virat Kohli didn't bat even once in the ODI series and was rested for the final two games by the team management with a view to give other batters some game time. However, the former Indian captain took the field for a brief period in the third ODI as a substitute.
Fans on Twitter were delighted to see Kohli on the field and being a part of at least some action. Some were understandably frustrated as they wanted the star batter to score big in the ODIs.
#1 The DRS drama for the final wicket
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It was a bit of an anti-climatic end to the third ODI as there was another controversy happening due to DRS. Kuldeep Yadav bowled a googly to Jayden Seales and Shubman Gill completed an easy catch at first slip. The on-field umpire adjudged the batter out and the Indian fielders were almost getting ready to be on their way to the dressing room.
However, Seales reviewed the decision and replays showed that the ball didn't take any inside edge off his bat. This meant that they had to check for the LBW decision, which showed impact as the umpire's call.
Some Indian fielders apparently were confused when the umpire had to overturn his decision. But the confusion was later cleared when the umpire seemed to inform them that the umpire's call was for caught behind and that it needed to be three reds for the batter to be adjudged LBW.