Riding on the back of a captain's knock by Rahul Dravid, India overcame aminor top order collapse and some heart-stopping moments towards the end tocoast to their 17th successive win while chasing in the first one-dayer againstthe West Indies.
Chasing a challenging 251 for six in a rain-shortened match, the Indiansrallied around a composed 105 off 102 balls by Dravid to come closer to victory,but still had to weather a last-minute fightback by the home side before winningwith a ball to spare at the Sabina Park on Thursday.
Needing 43 runs off 37 balls at Dravid's fall, the Indians saw the tie godown to the wire with six required from six balls for the win.
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The battle-hardened Mohammad Kaif and the young Suresh Raina, teammates ofRanji Trophy winning Uttar Pradesh, kept their nerves to see the Indians homeand give the tourists a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
"I guess it was too tense for the hearts, but it was a great act,"said Dravid after the nail-biting finish.
Kaif, 66 not out, brought the winning runs, a cover driven four off DwayneBravo.
The middle order batsman, woefully out of form in the last two series againstPakistan and England, also featured in a 123-run fourth wicket stand with Dravidthat laid the foundation for India's win.
Man of the match Dravid's 12th career hundred and the third against theCaribbean nations put to shade Chris Gayle's hurricane 123 off 131 balls earlierin the day.
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Gayle's cracker of an innings left Dravid ruing his decision to put the hostsin before his bowlers put the skids on the West Indian scoring in a matchreduced to 45 overs a side following heavy overnight and early morning rain.
The tall left-hander smashed 18 fours and two sixes in his knock but foundlittle support from the rest of the team with captain Brian Lara being thesecond top scorer with 35.
Ajit Agarkar was the pick of the bowlers for India with two for 38 whileHarbhajan Singh returned an economical 1-33.
Irfan Pathan (1-52) and Munaf Patel (1-48) too came back for tidy secondspells after being carted all over the park with the new ball.
"We are going to be competitive (in the remainder of the series) andthere will be an improved performance on Saturday (in the second ODI), maybe wewill even win," Lara said.
Dravid gambled on the moisture and green look of the wicket to opt to fieldfirst but his bowlers wilted early in sapping heat on a slowish wicket.
Gayle and Runako Morton (23) pounded the Indian new ball bowlers as they puton 87 for the opening wicket, 74 coming in the first 10 overs.
Pathan began with three wides and two no-balls and by the third over had gonefor 25, including four fours by Gayle.
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Gayle raised his half-century from 46 balls with 11 fours before the Indiansclawed their way back with two wickets in four overs.
Agarkar, the most impressive of the lot, provided the first breakthrough inthe 14th over when he induced an edge from Morton to wicketkeeper Mahendra SinghDhoni.
Harbhajan then won a leg-before shout against Ramnaresh Sarwan as the WestIndies slipped to 94 for 2 in the 17th over.
Lara then added 82 for the third wicket with Gayle before his full bloodedshot was latched on to by Kaif at cover.
Gayle slowed down at the approach of the three-figure mark which he reachedthrough a single from an inside edge.
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The wiry Jamaican celebrated his 12th career hundred, and fourth againstIndia, with another huge six and two more fours before Dravid came up with astunner at mid-wicket off his on drive against Agarkar.
The Indians were off to a steady start with Dravid and Sehwag notching up 56runs inside the first 10 overs before a smart piece fielding by Marlon Samuelsbroke their stand.
Sehwag middled the ball well, displaying sound footwork which he has oftenlacked in the past.
But his innings of 22 came to an end when Samuels, having misjudged a skier,quickly recovered and his throw to the striker's end caught the batsman short ofthe crease.
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What aggravated the situation for India, however, was the cheap dismissal ofPathan and the off-colour Yuvraj Singh.
Pathan failed to get his cut shot on top of Ian Bradshaw and was caught inthe slip cordon.
Yuvraj (12), after struggling to rotate the strike, tried to hit his way outof the trouble and ended up mistiming his lofted drive.
This time, however, Samuels made no mistake and nicely held on to the highcatch.
It was left to Dravid and Kaif then to see the tourists home, which they didin a composed manner.
Kaif was put down twice, by Lara early on in his innings and then on 35 byFidel Edwards, but never did he nor his captain panicked as the chase enteredthe climax.
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Dravid reached his hundred with a single to mid-wicket off Edwards, themilestone coming from 99 balls with nine fours and two sixes.
The skipper fell soon though, a tiring heave falling into the safe hands ofJerome Taylor at long on.
PTI
