Despite emphatic win, middle-order woes persist for ‘Men in Blue’

India did not have the best day with the bat in hand but they still managed almost 270 on the board. And they won the match as well. Imagine this team coming into full groove, and playing to their full potential.  India are just 2 more points away from SF berth. 

India remained unbeaten in the tournament, defeated the Windies by a massive 125 runs for their fifth win in six games, with one wash-out. With 11 points, India moved up to second in the standings. While, the Windies’ hopes for semifinal qualification ended tonight, after suffering their fifth defeat in seven games.

Virat Kohli’s side has shown exactly what it takes to win under crunch situations. Not that they were any under pressure while defending a target of 269, but there were some hiccups when ‘Men in Blue’ batted. Before this match, India showed nerves of steel with both bat and ball and crossed the winning mark against the spirited Afghans at Southampton.

While there were many positives for India from Thursday’s win, the one threat that still looms large over head of team management is that of the middle-order’s no show. Both the No 4 and 5 batsmen have failed to impress in the last two games now. Vijay Shankar got starts on both occasions, but ultimately failed to convert them into substantial scores. Kedar Jadhav displayed grit against Afghanistan at No 6, but lacked the bite on Thursday with the bat when he came ahead of Dhoni at No 5.

Pandya hit 46 off 38 balls while Dhoni remained unbeaten on 56, ending the innings with a big six. This was followed by a great bowling performance from Indian bowlers. Led by paceman Mohammed Shami, the Indian attack dismissed West Indies for 143 in 34.2 overs to end their hopes of progressing to the knockouts.