RAIPUR, India, CMC – Dwayne Smith and Narsingh Deonarine hit half centuries for the second day in a row while captain Brian Lara rolled back years with a magical cameo, as the West Indies produced a bold hunt before coming up briefly, to bow out the Road Safety World Series with a 12 run loss to India Legends here yesterday.
Always against it after being placed 219 to win their semi-final at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, West Indies Legends looked on track to pull off a stunning victory before falling late.
Smith scored best with 63 deliveries off 36 deliveries while the left-handed Deonarine weighed in with 59 off 44 balls but apart from Lara’s classic 46 off 28 deliveries, no other batter managed to reach double figures.
The unbeaten Sachin Tendulkar had earlier scored at the top with 65 of 42 balls as India Legends stacked 218 for three off their 20 overs, after being sent in.
Dashing left-wing Yuvraj Singh hit a 20-ball 49 unbeaten shot, Yusuf Pathan punched an unbeaten 37 from 20 balls while opener Virender Sehwag believed an aggressive 17-ball 35.
Fast bowler Tino Best stood out with two for 25 of his four overs but the rest of the dropped attack runs steadily.
Tendulkar got a strong start from India Legends, stroking half a dozen four and three sixes in an opening 56 run stand with Sehwag before adding 53 for the second wicket with Mohammad Kaif (27).
Sehwag tasted five fours and sixes before being caught and bowled by Best in the sixth over while Kaif died in the 12th over and eventually left Tendulkar in the 15th over at 140 for three after giving up 31 more on for third with Yusuf Pathan.
Yuvraj and Pathan then held a hit show at the time of the death, posting 78 off 35 deliveries in a fourth straight wicket partnership to dominate.
While Yuvraj grabbed six and a half dozen sixes – four of which came in the last but one by leg spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo – Pathan hit two fours and three sixes.
In reply, West Indies Legends lost William Perkins for nine in the second over but Smith crunched nine fours and two sixes and Deonarine carved five fours and two sixes, in a second 99 run wicket stand.
In the end, Smith pulled out to far in the 11th over left-arm sailor Irfan Pathan at 118 for two and Kirk Edwards followed three balls later for a first-ball ‘duck’ but then Lara and Deonarine gave the Caribbean is back in the look of victory with an 80 run stand.
But with 19 needed from 10 deliveries, Lara was bowled by sailor Vinay Kumar after hitting four fours and a couple of six and when Best left at the end of the 19th, West Indies lost their momentum and the 17 runs proved their best. needed from the final over too steep.