Kuldeep four-for trips West Indies up after Greaves' century

Innings West Indies 295 for 7 (Greaves 102, Campbell 62, Jangoo 58, Kuldeep 4-40) vs India

Kuldeep Yadav's 4 for 40 on ODI comeback restricted West Indies to 295 despite a 135-run opening stand between Justin Greaves and John Campbell. Greaves went on to score his maiden ODI century, but a collapse of 4 for 22 from overs 31 to 36 broke the back of the West Indies innings. It was only in the 29th over that the visitors' run rate came down to under a run a ball after Greaves took 18 off the second over, bowled by Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Missing Jasprit Bumrah, who is in Japan to represent India in the Asian Games, and Mohammed Siraj, who is perhaps still looking for his best rhythm, India needed a point of difference in the middle overs. Having warmed the bench for the entirety of their last ODI series and having looked off colour in a Test in Sri Lanka, Kuldeep roared back to take four of the first five wickets to fall in Rajkot. His career tally reads 198 wickets at 31.6 balls per wicket, the third-best among spinners who have gone past 175 wickets.

For the first 20 overs or so, India looked like they had no answers for the fourth different opening combination West Indies have tried in the last five ODIs. The tall Greaves drove beautifully against the new ball even if he didn't always get the length to do so. As India experimented with Reddy as an opening bowler, Greaves got the kind of headstart you dream of, driving three full balls for four and shovelling a free hit for another, all in the second over.

Campbell, who was afforded a sighter or five thanks to Greaves' quick start, attacked Ravindra Jadeja, asked to bowl inside the powerplay for a change, taking a four and two sixes. At 85 for 0 in 10 overs, India had problems aplenty and only Kuldeep to look at. However, debutant Naman Dhir bowled before Kuldeep, probably letting the ball lose its shine before it went to the left-arm wristspinner.

In the 20th over, Kuldeep beat Campbell in the air on the sweep, drawing a low catch for short fine leg. Kuldeep and Jadeja then turned the screws on Keacy Carty, one of the openers in recent times. Against the old ball, though, he got stuck. With the pressure building, Prasidh Krishna came back to get him for 13 off 31 at the start of the 31st over.

This is the period when sides look to score quickly before two balls give way to one at the end of the 34th over and an extra fielder goes out at the end of the 40th. This is when Kuldeep put together one of his best recent spells. Shai Hope tried to force the pace, charged Kuldeep, was beaten in the flight, and sliced him to point.