Legends of Sports

With a 2-0 lead in hand, India are definitely on course to record a second consecutive one-day series triumph at home as they take on West Indies in the third ODI of the five-match series at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Motera on Monday. Although it has not been without some hiccups, the hosts look all set to hand out another defeat to the visiting side and take a winning 3-0 lead at the ground where they dethroned 2007 champions Australia on March 24 on their way to grabbing cricket's most popular crown - the World Cup.

The Virender Sehwag-led hosts have shown very good tenaciousness in the face of deep trouble to win the first two games of the series at Cuttack and Vishakhapatnam. They struggled to overcome a very modest target of 212 set by the Windies in the first ODI and then failed to deliver the knock-out blow when they had the visitors on the hop at 170 for 9 in the second match. On the first occasion, India rescued by the last wicket pair of Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav.

In the second game too India allowed Ravi Rampaul to smash a world record score for a no. 10 batsman, 86 not out in 66 balls with six sixes and as many fours, to help his team accumulate a tough 269 after they were 170 for 9 through a fighting, incomplete last wicket stand of 99 with Kemar Roach who made 24 not out. It needed a determined and tenacious stand of 163 runs between young guns Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to guide India to a victory after they were in difficulties at 84 for 3.

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