Manoj Tiwary's maiden ODI century scored over Kieron Pollard's as India registered a 34-run win over the West Indies in the fifth and final ODI at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday. The victory gave India the series 4-1. The 26-year-old Tiwary (104, 126b, 10x4, 1x6), playing his sixth ODI, and Virat Kohli (80, 85b, 5x4) helped India post 267 for six after the team lost two wickets in the first over following stand-in skipper Gautam Gambhir decision to bat.
In pursuit, the West Indies folded in the 45th over for 233, despite Pollard's ruthless six-hitting spree that saw him clearing the ropes 10 times. Irfan Pathan's first-ball strike and a couple of contentious decisions saw the West Indian chase stalled on 78 for five in the 16th over, before Pollard (119) and Andre Russell (53) who was dropped by Parthiv Patel on 35 brought it back on track.
The two added 89 in 79 balls for the sixth wicket and the West Indies needed 101 to win in 21.1 overs when Russell was run out at the striker's end by a Gambhir throw from short third man a dismissal that strangulated the chase. Skipper Darren Sammy did his side no favours by edging Ravindra Jadeja to point after having wasted 14 balls for three runs. Pollard, six of whose ten sixes came off Jadeja, was left to rally the tail around him.
He was fortuitous to get his first ODI century. The team was nine down and Pollard on 99 when Kohli dropped him at the long-on boundary, the resultant four giving the West Indian his hundred. Pollard was finally the last man out when he went for his 11th six and was caught well by Rahane at long off. Earlier, Tiwary featured in two stands that took the initiative away from the West Indies. He added 83 with Gambhir (31) for the third wicket and collaborated for 117 in 18.5 overs with Kohli for the fourth wicket.
The partnership ended when the centurion retired with cramps, a ball after reaching his landmark in the 38th over. Like in Ahmedabad when Ravi Rampaul pegged back the chase with a double blow in the second over India started in a similarly wretched manner at Chepauk with two first-ball ducks. Kemar Roach thundered in with the new ball and trapped comeback man Ajinkya Rahane (in for Virender Sehwag) on the second ball of the innings with one that kept a shade low. Parthiv Patel played on next ball to leave the home team two down in three balls.
Tiwary played out the hat-trick ball with a measure of safety and continued to eschew risks as Gambhir and he took things ahead. The Delhi left-hander was out leg-before to Martin in the 19th over, and soon after Tiwary brought up his fifty.
India's 150 came up in the 31st over before Tiwary and Kohli added 100 runs for the fourth wicket in 99 balls. The Bengal batsman eased an inside-out six off Sunil Narine, the most economical of the West Indies' bowlers, to reach his highest List A score (96) and a couple of overs later glanced the same bowler to the fine-leg fence to reach his first ODI, and List A, hundred in 125 balls.
Tiwary retired hurt the very next ball, ending his partnership with Kohli was replaced by Rohit Sharma. Kohli and Rohit added 40 in 7.2 overs before the former got out on 80 failing to clear long-on against Martin in the 46th over. Narine (10-1-41-1) bowled a maiden to Irfan Pathan in the 49th over and India's innings culminated at 267 for six.
