Sachin Tendulkar's sizzling unbeaten 141 on comebackwent in vain as the West Indies won the rain-hit second one-dayer of theDLF Cup by 29 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in Kuala Lumpur today.
Tendulkar seemed to have put India in the box seat with his scintillating knock,propelling the team to 309 for five in the day-night encounter at the KinraraOval.
But the Windies ran away with the victory after making 141 for two in 20 overs,which was more than the required par score of 112-2 at that stage, beforeshowers disrupted the proceedings.
Opener Chris Gayle set up the chase with a 35-ball 45 and the momentum wassustained by Ramnaresh Sarwan, 37 off 49 balls, and captain Brian Lara, 27 off30 balls.
West Indies had lost the opening match by 78 runs againstAustralia on Tuesday.
India take on the three-time World Champions at the same venue on Saturday.
Tendulkar announced his return to international cricket in style by carrying hisbat for his 40th one-day hundred. The 33-year-old, who had been out of actionsince March after undergoing a shoulder surgery, smashed 13 fours and five sixesin his 148-ball knock.
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On a pitch of unreliable bounce, Tendulkar played aninnings of high technical excellence. The 41singles and nine twos he ran proved his fitness beyond doubt.
It was Tendulkar's first full innings for India afterthe third and final Test against England earlier this year at Mumbai.
The champion batsman had batted a handful of deliveriesin the rained out one-dayer against Sri Lanka at Colombo which lasted only 16minutes and 22 balls in all.
Irfan Pathan yet again showcased his batting prowesswith a 64 that dominated the middle overs while Suresh Raina's 34, incombination with Tendulkar's improvisation, provided thrust in the final overs.
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Jerome Taylor, who took four wickets against Australia in the first match onTuesday, once again was the best bowler with three for 64.
The last time Tendulkar played a triple-figure inningswas against Pakistan at Peshawar earlier this year.
The Mumbai batsman was reprieved on five when wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr. grassed a chance of Fidel Edwards.
The West Indians were left to rue their mistake as Tendulkar responded with twoupper cuts off the bowler to the fence behind the keeper in the next over.
The pitch proved to be of unpredictable nature with both Tendulkar and captainRahul Dravid being hit on the upper wrist by awkwardly rising deliveries.
Dravid (26) ultimately fell leg before to Dwayne Smith and the low bounceclaimed two more batsmen -- Virender Sehwag (9) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2) --later.
Pathan was contemptuous against the Windies bowling, smashing six fours and twosixes in 68 balls.
The left-hander came down the line to lift Ian Bradshaw over long off and thenstepped back to cut Edwards over the third man fence.
The dominant partner in the 125-run second-wicket stand fell playing a slowerone from part-time spinner Chris Gayle on to his stumps.
The dismissal of Sehwag and Dhoni seemed to put the skids on the scoring butTendulkar and Raina swung the momentum once again in India's favour with ablistering partnership of 68 runs.
Tendulkar was all brilliance when he twice lifted Taylor over the cover regionfor six while Raina slammed two boundaries off his own of the same bowler in theclosing stages.
PTI
