Zeenews Bureau
Kingston, June 27: Yuvraj Singh still seemed to be stuck in Twenty20 mode, smashing a boundary-laced merciless 131 in 102 balls to help India to a 20-run victory over a battling West Indies in Jamaica on Friday in their first of a four-match series of one-dayers.
Singh's powerful hitting propelled India to a massive 339 for six, the second highest one-day international score at Sabina Park, but the determined hosts, fresh from an impressive showing in the juist concluded Twenty20 World Cup in England, ran them close to be bowled out for 319 in the 49th over.
Chris Gayle (37) and Runako Morton (42) had put on 65 inside 10 overs for the opening stand before Ramnaresh Sarwan (45) and an aggressive Shivnarine Chanderpaul (63) ensured that West Indies kept up with the run-rate.
The match was set for a thrilling climax when West Indies needed 25 to win off the last three overs with two wickets remaining. But Rudra Pratap Singh spoiled the party for the hosts when he bowled Sulieman Benn for seven.
Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who had kept the flame burning with a smart 29 off 26 balls, was then caught by Harbhajan Singh off Ashish Nehra to seal the issue in favour of the visitors.
"It is disappointing to lose of course but the boys deserve credit for the way they fought to the end," Gayle told reporters.
After a disappointing early exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in England earlier this month, and missing key batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was pleased with the win.
"The (team) morale has always been there but it's always good to win and I guess you could say this gets the disappointment out of the system," he told reporters.
Before Friday's game, only Pakistan had managed to surpass 300 in an ODI at Sabina Park, against Zimbabwe in the 2007 World Cup.
Mammoth Task
West Indies' total was a second-innings record at the ground, but they faced a mammoth task after Yuvraj Singh's virtuoso display.
Earlier, when Yuvraj entered, India had stumbled to 32 for two in the eighth over, following the dismissals of Gautam Gambhir in the fifth over and Rohit Sharma in the eighth.
Gambhir was caught at mid-wicket for 13 when he miscued a hook at Jerome Taylor, and Sharma was caught at deep square leg for four when he top-edged a pull off Lionel Baker.
But Yuvraj joined Karthik, and the left-hander treated the modest crowd to a breath-taking array of strokes to reach his hundred from 88 balls, when he steered Taylor to third man for a single.
He added 135 for the third wicket with Dinesh Karthik, who was caught behind off Dave Bernard Jr for 67 from 77 balls, when he miscued a scoop shot in the 29th over.
Yuvraj reached 50 from 55 balls, when he turned a delivery from West Indies captain Chris Gayle into square leg for two, and then dominated an 86-run, fourth-wicket stand with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Yuvraj indulged himself during the Batting Power Play that spanned the 34th and 38th overs, when he smashed two fours and six sixes, as India added 62 runs.
The 37th over was particularly memorable for Yuvraj, when he struck Taylor for two sixes - over mid-wicket and long-off - in an over that cost 21.
But Yuvraj was slightly hobbled by a Taylor yorker, and eventually tamely surrendered, when he was caught behind off Dwayne Bravo in the 39th over glancing a leg-side delivery.
After his dismissal, India made steady, if not spectacular progress in the closing overs, and left West Indies with a difficult assignment in the second half of the match.
Dhoni went on to make 41 and Yusuf Pathan chipped in with a swift 40.
"(Yuvraj Singh) took the time to get himself set and as we know, when he gets set he can bat like that. It was a brilliant innings," said Dhoni.
The second game of the series, also at Sabina Park, is held on Sunday.
First Published: Saturday, June 27, 2009, 09:10