Indian bowlers restrict West Indies

India made West Indies resemble a schoolboy team in restricting them to 169 for seven in 50 overs in a triangular one-day series match in Bulawayo today.

The final score, which looked a remote possibility when West Indies were reduced to 47 for five in the 25th over, was largely a result of the efforts of Ridley Jacobs (53 not out) and Marlon Samuels (44) who were engaged in a 72-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

India, who rested Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh and Ajit Agarkar, were well served by the new ball pair of Debasish Mohanty and Harvinder Singh both of whom were playing their first match in the series.

Captain Sourav Ganguly won his third straight toss and his decision to put the opposition in to bat was once again justified by Mohanty and Harvinder who struck early to dismiss both openers, Darren Ganga and Chris Gayle, and leave West Indies at five for two in the third over.

Mohanty removed the number three batsman Wavell Hinds in the 11th over and West Indies, 18 for three, could never recover from the early loss of wickets.

They scored at a snail's pace and by the half-way mark had lost their batting mainstays Shivnaraine Chanderpaul and captain Carl Hooper too, with just 47 runs on the board.

Mohanty finished with the dream figures of three for 18 from his ten overs while Harvinder and Zaheer Khan had figures of two for 25 and two for 27 respectively.

So complete was India's dominance that the West Indies could score just two boundaries in the first 25 overs, one each by Chanderpaul and Hooper. They hesitated to take runs and were lucky not to get run-out on a few occasions.

It was only when these three medium-pacers were withdrawn did the West Indies batsmen get some respite. Samuels and Jacobs found the gentle medium-pace of Reetinder Singh Sodhi and the off-spin of Virendra Sehwag easier to negotiate.

They scored mainly through ones and twos though the occasional boundary also did come. Samuels hit Sodhi through the covers and straight drove Zaheer for two fours immediately after the dismissal of Hooper to slightly ease the pressure.

Jacobs hit Sodhi over mid-on and, for the first time in the innings, the West Indies scoring rate went beyond two runs an over.

The 100 of the innings came in the 36th over and the pair just looked to accelerate when Mohanty, playing his first international game in two years, effected the breakthrough by having Samuels caught by Harvinder at long-on. Samuels' 44 came off 74 balls and contained five fours.

Jacobs added another 37 runs for the seventh wicket with Mahendra Nagamootoo before Zaheer Khan took a fine return catch to send the latter back to pavilion. Nagamootoo made 17.

Jacobs brought up his half-century off 69 balls which contained one four and a six off Sodhi. West Indies could not make much use of the slog overs as Zaheer and Harvinder bowled in the blockhole.