KOCHI–West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo said his side would have to “dig deeper and work harder†to overcome hosts India in the remaining two matches of their one-day international (ODI) series. West Indies failed to defend a victory target of 212, as Man-of-the-Match Virat Kohli hit the top score of 86 and Rohit Sharma made 72 to take India over the threshold, with 88 balls remaining in the first ODI at a humid, packed Nehru Stadium on Thursday in India. Earlier, Darren Bravo, the captain’s younger brother, had gathered a workmanlike 59 and opener Johnson Charles made 42, as West Indies were dismissed for 211 in 48.5 overs, after they chose to bat. The younger Bravo and Marlon Samuels were victims of deliveries that squatted, but Bravo failed to lay the blame for his side’s loss on the pitch. “We can’t blame the pitch,†said Bravo. “Both teams played on it. Nothing changed. Unfortunately, we end up on the side [with] the luck not going our way. India are playing good cricket at the moment and the luck and momentum is on their side.
What to dig deeper?!
The thing is that Windies have lost the team spirit. Windies can beat India only if they perform collectively.