Axar’s 83 in vain as Windies A register 5-run win over India

Coolidge (Antigua), July 20 

Axar Patel’s rearguard heroics went in vain as India A suffered a narrow five-run loss to West Indies A in the fourth unofficial ODI of the five-match series. 

With the series already in pocket after winning the first three games, India A tasted their first defeat on Friday despite Patel’s (81* off 63 balls) valiant effort with the bat while chasing 299 runs. Chasing 298/9, the India A’s top-order failed to put up big score despite getting starts, and at one stage, they were struggling at 160/6. Patel in the company of Washington Sundar raised 60 runs for the seventh wicket to keep India A in the hunt. Patel marshalled the tail beautifully but Khaleel Ahmed and Navdeep Saini fell in a space of three balls towards the close as West Indies registered their first win in the series. 

Brief Scores: WI A: 298/9 (Chase 84, Thomas 70; Khaleel 4/67, Avesh 3/62); Ind A: 293/9 (Axar 81*, Washington 45; Powell 2/47). — PTI