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Dwayne Bravo's experiment to open the West Indies innings in Kochi may have backfired, but the Caribbeans, very much written off by the pundits before the series started, have begun in right earnest. Marlon Samuels is a man on a mission. He made a comeback to the West Indian ODI team and vindicated the selectors' faith with a match-winning 126 not out in Kochi on Wednesday. (Raina's Back-to-Back Ducks and Jadeja's Marathon)
Exactly 12 years ago, Samuels scored his first century against India. He had scored 108 not out at Vijayawada on November 24, 2002. More recently, Samuels had scored 126 against Bangladesh at Dhaka on December 5, 2012. But the Kochi century has been extra special. (Also read: Kohli's form huge concern, says Gavaskar)
"I have played a lot of match-winning innings and I feel very honoured for those times. I don't count hundreds that do not lead to a winning result for the team. Tonight, scoring a hundred and winning the game for my side is a massive thing for me," Samuels told www.bcci.tv. India lost by 124 runs. (Highlights | Scorecard | Pics )
Samuels' 126 not out is the fourth highest for the West Indies versus India in India in ODIs, the top three innings being 149 not out by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at Nagpur on January 21, 2007, 149 by Vivian Richards at Jamshedpur on December 7, 1983 and 140 by Chris Gayle at Ahmedabad on November 15, 2002. (Also read: Dhoni rues India's poor batting)
Samuels' innings is the fifth highest for the West Indies against India in ODIs. Desmond Haynes had scored an unbeaten 152 at Georgetown on March 21, 1989. Samuels wants to more match-winning knocks for West Indies.
"If you score a hundred and your team loses it is never a good feeling. I take life easy and take life as it comes. I am satisfied with my performance but I am hungry. I still want a lot more runs in the series," said Samuels. With six ODI centuries, Samuels (4077 at an average 32.35 in 160 games) is the 10th West Indian batsman to complete 4,000 runs in ODIs. (Hoodwinked by Board, Vintage West Indies Rob Team India )
With his ability to bowl tight spells of off-spin, the 33-year-old Jamaican is expected to be a key member in the West Indian squad for the World Cup next year. This India series is where Samuels wants to establish himself.
"For me it was just about thinking about my game, thinking about the best innings that I have played. Even while traveling to India in the plane I played a lot of good innings in my mind," he told the BCCI website.
Samuels' century and his stunning 165-run fourth wicket stand with Denesh Ramdin is surely going to lift the morale of the West Indians. India, beware. The Caribbeans are here for a fight.
(With inputs from Rajesh Kumar)
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