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India was declared the winner in the third one-dayer against the West Indies after the crowd played spoilsport. The game had to be suspended for the third time in the series today when India were 200 for 1 after 27 overs. Opener Virender Sehwag was in the middle of an immense innings, on 114 off just 82 balls. But when West Indies fielder Vasbert Drakes was hit on the leg by a bottle thrown from the stands, the touring side marched off the pitch. Earlier, substitute Ryan Hinds was also hit by a bottle while fielding at long-off.
The incidents occurred despite heavy security arrangements at the stadium following instances of crowd violence in the first two matches at Jamshedpur and Nagpur. India was eventually awarded the match under the Duckworth-Lewis system after West Indies refused to come out and complete the match. The Indian bowlers may have disappointed by giving away too many runs to the visitors in the third one-dayer being played at Rajkot, but the batsmen made amends.
Needing 301 to win at over six runs an over, openers Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly launched a blitzkrieg, hitting the Windies bowlers for boundaries all over the park to take the home side racing to 195 from the first 25 overs. Ganguly's commanding innings of 72 finally came to an end when he was caught by Chanderpaul off Drakes in the 26th over.
Sehwag, who reached his century off just 75 deliveries, was unbeaten on 114 with 17 hits to the fence and two sixes. VVS Laxman had come in to join him at Ganguly’s dismissal. Earlier, the West Indians set India a challenging target of 301 after Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly won the toss and put the visitors into bat at the Madhav Rao Scindia municipal grounds today. India opted for a three-pronged pace attack, bringing in J P Yadav in place of leg-spinner Anil Kumble but that could not prevent the visitors from scoring freely and putting up the highest total of the series so far.
The Windies were off to a steady start this morning with Chris Gayle providing the momentum to the innings. Wavell Hinds (10) was caught by V V S Laxman off Javagal Srinath in the 9th over with the score on 36 while skipper Ganguly sent back Marlon Samuels, caught behind by Rahul Dravid, for 16. But there was no stopping Gayle who went on the offensive. He struck twelve boundaries and two sixes in his innings of 72 of just 68 deliveries before being finally dismissed. He played a Harbhajan Singh delivery on to his stumps.
Harbhajan’s next strike came as late as in the 46th over when he had Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught by Yadav for 74. In the meantime, Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has exhibited brilliant form all through the series, hit 84 and together with Chanderpaul put on 149 for the fourth wicket. Sarwan departed shortly after Chanderpaul when he edged Nehra to Dravid but the West Indies were already in sight of a big total.
Ricardo Powell remained unbeaten on 19 with Ridley Jacobs on 8 as the Windies finished at an imposing 300 for 5 wickets from their quota of 50 overs. The Windies were forced to rest captain Carl Hooper due to a knee problem. wicketkeeper-batsman Jacobs is the stand-in captain for today's match. Hard-hitting batsman Powell replaced Hooper in the middle order.
The visitors also dropped medium-pacer Corey Collymore from the eleven and brought in experienced Cameron Cuffy.
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