West Indies players and members of the coaching staff celebrate winning the Digicel ODI Series 4-1 after victory in the final match at Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago, yesterday. - DELLMAR
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
MAN OF the Series Ramnaresh Sarwan and fifth game Man-of-the-Match Dwayne Bravo have expressed admiration for the efficient West Indies Digicel one-day inter-national (ODI) series win over India.
West Indies beat India by 19 runs with two overs to spare Sunday at Queen's Park Oval to secure an emphatic 4-1 series win over the more highly-ranked Indians.
Bravo, who stroked a career-best ODI 62 not out in Sunday's win, credited the positive spirit of the current team for their recent success.
"The team is gelling very well and everything is going well for us so far," said Bravo, who was also Man of the Match when West Indies snatched a series-clinching victory in the fourth ODI on Friday.
Sarwan, who gathered a series-leading 273 runs, said the key to their triumph in the series was their ability to capitalise on advantageous positions in the games.
"Even in New Zealand, we had situations when we were in positions (to win) but we couldn't actually win the games. What happens now is that we are finding ourselves in positions and we are closing off games, so we are starting to improve as a team," Sarwan said.
Set 256 to win, Virender Sehwag stroked 95 and India appeared well placed at 170 for four in the 32nd over, but pacer Jerome Taylor came back for a second spell to claim three wickets for eight runs in four overs and India were dismissed for 236 in 48 overs.
Left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed, playing in his first match of the series, also assisted in the victory by grabbing three wickets in the 47th over after an eight-wicket stand of 41 between Harbhajan Singh and Ajit Agarkar had carried India to within 25 runs of victory with 21 balls remaining.
Bravo, Sarwan (52), Chris Gayle (51), Brian Lara (36), and Wavell Hinds (32) were the chief scorers for West Indies in their score of 255 for six.
On his Man-of-the-Match award that was announced as a marginal choice over India's Virender Sehwag, whose innings had threatened to win the game for the touring side, Bravo suggested it must have been a close choice, praising some contributions by other teammates.
"The Man-of-the-Match award I think could have gone anyway, Jerome Taylor, came back very well and Dave Mohammed. I think all in all, it was a team effort, led by Chris Gayle up front, Sarwan and Brian, at the end Wavell Hinds came in and did very well," Bravo said.
Sarwan said their success in the series is an ideal preparation for the Test matches, starting Friday in Antigua.
"It's all about momentum, and hopefully we'll build on it in the Test series," Sarwan said.
