Pandey, Pandya crush West Indies A as India A take series

India A clinched the five-match One-Day series against West Indies A with two matches to spare, after a 148-run win.

In the third One-Day match played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, India A batting first scored 295-6 in their allotted 50 overs while West Indies A’s poor batting in the series continued as they folded for 147 all out.
Captain Manish Pandey led the charge for the Indians with an even century; Pandey scored 100 from 87 balls before he was trapped in front by a Romario Shepherd yorker. Earlier, Pandey received support from opener Shubman Gill, who scored 77 from 81 balls. Shreays Iyer also got some runs under his belt, but missed out on a half-century when he scored a watchful 47 from 69 balls.

Test player Hanuman Vihari scored 29 while Ishan Kishan scored 24 before he was bowled all ends up by Guyanese Keemo Paul. Bowling for the West Indies A, Rahkeem Cornwall grabbed 2-37 from 10 brilliant overs while Shepherd continued his bowling form with 2-51 from 10 overs. Shepherd bowled with venom, getting his first wicket with a serious bouncer early in the innings and his second came via a well-directed yorker.
Paul had 1-53 from 10 overs, playing his first match while his Guyana Jaguars teammate, Raymon Reifer had 1-62 in nine overs.
West Indies A then had a positive start to their innings, as openers John Campbelle and Sunil Ambris survived some close calls to establish a half-century run stand. Campbelle fell for 21, playing a loose pull shot while Ambris scored a promising 30.
But the batting woes continued for the West Indies: Reifer fell for 19 from 45 balls while skipper Roston Chase scored only 15 runs. Chase played back and was bowled all ends up by Krunal Pandya, who is playing his first match on tour. Pandya, the older brother of Indian World Cup player Hardik Pandya, bowled with variation; he removed Jonathan Carter, who scored only four, and Rovman Powell, who scored only one, on his way to a five-wicket haul.

Pandya, a left-arm spinner, got the better of Shepherd who smashed a four down the ground and, the very next ball, got greedy and attempted another big hit. Pandya varied his pace to see Shepherd finding the slip fielder in his innings of four.
Paul, batting at number 10, came in and showed his worth with the bat. The Guyanese smashed Vihari for two sixes in as many balls, but his innings of 34 from 16 balls, the top score for West Indies A, ended when Vihari got the final laugh. West Indies A were bundled out for 147 in 34.2 overs, losing by 148 runs.
Pandya finished with 5-25 in seven overs while Vihari had 2-23 in a splendid bowling effort from India A. The fourth match will bowl off on Friday, July 19. (Brandon Corlette)