West Indies beat India by six wickets in the fourth cricket one-dayer on Friday.
Updated at 2.50 am, Saturday
PORT OF SPAIN (Trinidad): Brian Lara scored a sparkling half century to lead the West Indies to a series clinching victory in the fourth one-day international against India on Friday.
The West Indies won by six wickets with six overs to spare to take a winning 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
The home side restricted India, who were put in to bat on a cracked pitch that took turn and showed signs of inconsistent bounce, to a mediocre total of 217 for seven.
The West Indies replied with 218 for four in 44 overs.
West Indian captain Lara, who scored 69 off 97 balls with eight fours and a six, rescued an innings that fell behind the required run-rate.
Dwayne Bravo, who scored a career best 61 not out, supported Lara in a stand of 91 that started after the West Indies slipped to 91 for three in the 23rd over.
Earlier, Indian batsmen failed fire yet again in the face of some intelligent bowling by the West Indies at Queen's Park Oval.
The Indians, trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, struggled on a slow track while posting a respectable 217 for seven after home captain Brian Lara put them into bat.
The Indian innings revolved around half-centuries from Yuvraj Singh (52) and Mohammad Kaif (62) and a late flourish by Mahendra Singh Dhoni (46 no) to go past the 200-mark.
Yuvraj and Kaif also put on 80 runs from 98 balls for the fourth wicket to give Indian total a semblance of competitiveness.
New ball bowlers Ian Bradshaw (2 for 41) and Fidel Edwards (1 for 19) did a good job upfront while spinners Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle bowled miserly as they have done throughout the series, conceding just 65 runs from 16 overs between them.
India's inability to get going in the final overs was once again exposed as only 81 runs accrued from the final 15 overs.
The early moisture on the wicket meant runs were hard to come by and India lost Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Suresh Raina for only 47 runs by the 16th over.
Bradshaw accounted for Sehwag (11) and Raina (7), caught in the cover and in the slips, in his first spell of five overs in which he conceded 20 runs.
Sehwag, frustrated by the slowness of the track, slammed one on the up and Gayle at extra cover made no mistake with the overhead chance.
Raina cut one off the front foot to be caught in the slips by Ramnaresh Sarwan as India reeled 28 for 2 by the 10th over.
Dravid (15) could get no sense of timing in his stay of 38-balls from 72 minutes as he hit 16 runs with one four.
The Indian captain tried to dab one past slips but only succeeded in offering a low catch at second slip off Corey Collymore.
Yuvraj batted as is his wont, ondriving and cutting fours of bowlers as the wicket showed signs of drying up and improving.
The Punjab left-hander cut and drove with elan and none of his five fours was more attractive to watch than the ondrive he executed off Collymore.
The 25-year old raised his half century with a single but departed soon thereafter when he glided Fidel Edwards to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr.
Yuvraj batted 78 balls for his 52 runs and India were now 127 for 4 in the 32nd over.
Kaif raised his third half century from four games and had progressed to 62 when he was deceived by a slower delivery from Dwayne Bravo. He faced 84 balls from 105 minutes and hit five fours.
Dwayne Bravo (3-32) struck twice in the 49th over when he had Irfan Pathan (8) scoop a catch to Collymore at fly slip and then clean bowled Ajit Agarkar for naught.
Dhoni appeared keen to make his first worthwhile contribution of the series and didn't open his shoulders until the final overs.
He swatted Bravo over his head in the 47th over, repeated the dose against Collymore in the 48th and then cheekily swept Collymore to fine leg fence in the final over.
Dhoni finished on 47 from 64 balls and hit six fours when the innings closed.
India made one change bringing on Yuvraj Singh for Venugopala Rao while West Indies rung in as many as three replacements with Wavell Hinds, Correy Collymore and Dwayne Smith coming in for Renuko Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jerome Taylor.
Scoreboard
India
Virender Sehwag c Gayle b Bradshaw 11
Rahul Dravid c Sarwan b Collymore 15
Suresh Raina c Sarwan b Bradshaw 7
Yuvraj Singh c Baugh b Edwards 52
Mohammad Kaif b Bravo 62
Mahendra Dhoni not out 46
Irfan Pathan c Collymore b Bravo 8
Ajit Agarkar b Bravo 0
Ramesh Powar not out 0
Extras: (5lb, 9w, 2nb) 16
Total: (for seven wickets) 217
Overs: 50.
Fall of wickets: 1 13, 2 28, 3 47, 4 127, 5 188, 6 206, 7 206.
Did not bat: Harbhajan Singh, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
Bowling: Fidel Edwards 8 1 19 1 (1w), Ian Bradshaw
10 0 41 2 (1nb, 4w), Corey Collymore 9 2 49 1 (3w), Dwayne Bravo 5 0 32 3 (1w), Chris Gayle 6 0 28 0, Marlon Samuels 10 1 37 0, Dwayne Smith 2 0 6 0 (1nb).
West Indies
Chris Gayle c Agarkar b Powar 46
Marlon Samuels lbw b Pathan 9
Ramnaresh Sarwan c Sehwag b Agarkar 6
Brian Lara c Raina b Powar 69
Dwayne Bravo not out 61
Wavell Hinds not out 13
Extras: (5lb, 8w, 1nb) 14
Total: (for four wickets) 218
Fall of wickets: 28 1, 49 2, 91 3, 182 4.
Did not bat: Dwayne Smith, Carlton Baugh Jr., Ian
Bradshaw, Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore.
Bowling: Irfan Pathan 5 0 32 1 (1nb, 4w), Shanthakumaran Sreesanth 9 1 39 0, Ajit Agarkar 8 1 24 1 (1w), Harbhajan Singh 10 1 42 0 (1w), Ramesh Powar 9 0 56 2 (1w), Yuvraj Singh 2 0 10 0, Suresh Raina 1 0 10 0 (1w).
Umpires: Billy Doctrove, West Indies, and Simon Taufel,
Australia.
Match referee: Chris Broad, England.
Result: West Indies (takes winning 3 1 lead in series).
Man of the Match: Dwayne Bravo.
Toss: West Indies.
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