Chanderpaul heroics in vain

Shivnarine Chanderpaul's superb innings failed to stave off defeat © Getty Images

West Indies fell agonisingly short in their mammoth run-chase against India despite a brilliant unbeaten 149 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Set 339 to win the first one-day international, the tourists missed out by just 14 runs amid mounting tension in Nagpur.

Sourav Ganguly hit 98 and further fifties from Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid carried India to a daunting 338 for three as the Windies attack struggled on a flat surface.

Their batsmen never relinquished hope of overhauling the total and needed 20 from the final over to win, but Chanderpaul’s heroic innings was in vain.

The left-hander hit 16 fours and three sixes off 136 balls, while the aggregate of 662 runs made it the highest-scoring ODI staged in India.

Chanderpaul put on 80 for the first wicket with Chris Gayle, who made a typically brisk 52, including 10 fours, before falling to Harbhajan Singh.

Harbhajan then bowled Runako Morton for eight and Marlon Samuels fell in similar fashion to Zaheer Khan for 40.

Sourav Ganguly marks his return to the side with a superb 98 © Getty Images

Brian Lara, who made 31, was stumped by Dhoni off Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer removed Dwayne Bravo, caught behind attemptng to cut.

An Ajit Agarkar yorker accounted for Dwayne Smith but, though Dinesh Ramdin was caught by Gambhir at fine-leg off Sri Sreesanth, Chanderpaul continued to fight a lone vigil.

The tourists needed 20 off the last over to win but, when Ian Bradshaw was run out by bowler Sreesanth from the first ball and Chanderpaul managed just three off the next two deliveries, West Indies’ fate was sealed.

India’s innings was underpinned by Ganguly. Back in the one-day squad after a 15-month absence, he and Gambhir put on 144 for the first wicket, Gayle eventually making the breakthrough when Gambhir (69) edged to Marlon Samuels at slip.

But it was small consolation for West Indies as the arrival of Tendulkar prompted another flurry of runs.

He shared a second-wicket stand of 70 with Ganguly before Gayle struck again, trapping Tendulkar leg before for 31.

With the three-figure mark in sight, Ganguly was run out by Smith’s direct hit, but any hopes of a West Indies fightback were dented by another century partnership, Dhoni and Dravid adding 119 in just over 10 overs to lift India beyond 300.

Dhoni finished unbeaten on 62 while captain Dravid was 54 not out.