India opened the three-match ODI series against West Indies with a commanding performance at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026. After restricting West Indies to 295 for seven in 50 overs, India made the chase look comfortable through brilliant centuries from captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli.
India had won the toss and elected to bowl first. West Indies made a strong start, but Kuldeep Yadav changed the course of the innings with four wickets before India’s experienced batting line-up took control of the run chase.
West Indies Make Strong Start
West Indies openers John Campbell and Justin Greaves gave their team an excellent platform. The pair added 135 runs for the opening wicket and put India’s bowlers under pressure during the first 20 overs.
Campbell scored 62 from 60 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. His innings ended when he was caught by Prasidh Krishna off Kuldeep Yadav.
Greaves went on to complete an impressive century. He made 101 from 108 deliveries, with 12 boundaries, and was the highest scorer for West Indies.
However, the visitors failed to build fully on their excellent start. Keacy Carty struggled for fluency and scored 13 from 31 balls, while captain Shai Hope made 12 from 11 deliveries.
Kuldeep Yadav Leads India’s Comeback
Kuldeep Yadav produced the most important bowling spell of the West Indies innings. His wickets changed a position of strength for the visitors into a much more manageable total for India.
Kuldeep dismissed Campbell, Hope, Greaves and Jewel Andrew and finished with outstanding figures of 4 for 40 from 10 overs, including one maiden.
Prasidh Krishna also played an important role, taking 2 for 60 from 10 overs. He removed Keacy Carty and Roston Chase.
Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed the other wicket, dismissing Matthew Forde. He finished with 1 for 45 from five overs. Gurnoor Brar went wicketless for 60 runs from 10 overs, while Ravindra Jadeja conceded 54 from his 10 overs without a wicket. ODI debutant Naman Dhir bowled five overs for 33 runs.
Amir Jangoo ensured West Indies still reached a competitive score. He remained unbeaten on 58 from 43 balls, hitting seven fours and a six. Roston Chase contributed 24, while West Indies eventually finished at 295 for seven in 50 overs.
Rohit and Gill Give India a Fast Start
Chasing 296, India began positively through Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. The pair added 74 for the first wicket.
Rohit scored 32 from 35 deliveries, including two fours and three sixes, before being caught by Jewel Andrew off Alzarri Joseph.
Gill continued to attack and soon took complete control of the innings. He reached his century from 96 balls and eventually scored 110 from 108 balls, including 13 fours and one six. His innings provided the foundation India needed in a chase approaching 300.
Gill was eventually dismissed by Roston Chase after sharing a huge partnership with Kohli.
Virat Kohli Produces Another ODI Masterclass
Virat Kohli then turned the chase into a one-sided contest.
He reached his fifty from 40 balls before accelerating dramatically. Kohli brought up another ODI century from only 74 deliveries, striking six fours and six sixes on the way to three figures. The innings was also significant because Kohli crossed the landmark of 15,000 ODI runs, becoming only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the mark.
Gill and Kohli added more than 150 runs for the second wicket, effectively taking the contest away from West Indies. After Gill’s dismissal, Ruturaj Gaikwad joined Kohli and India comfortably completed the chase.
West Indies struggled to contain India’s batters. Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase took the two wickets to fall, while Jayden Seales, Matthew Forde and Gudakesh Motie could not provide the breakthrough their team needed.
India Take Early Lead in ODI Series
The match was shaped by two decisive phases. Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket spell prevented West Indies from turning an opening stand of 135 into a total well beyond 300. India’s top order then made sure the target of 296 never became a serious problem.
Gill’s century, Kohli’s aggressive hundred and Rohit’s useful opening contribution gave India complete control of the chase. For West Indies, the performances of Greaves, Campbell and Jangoo were major positives, but their middle-innings collapse and inability to take wickets regularly proved costly.
With the victory, India moved 1-0 ahead in the three-match ODI series, making an emphatic start to their home series against West Indies.
Satyakam is a seasoned professional content writer with over 15 years of experience in creating high-quality, research-driven content for digital platforms. He specialises in business, finance, banking, law, technology, and informational blogs.
