Justin Greaves' Century Lift West Indies to 295 After Kuldeep Yadav's Four in 1st ODI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opener Justin Greaves struck a magnificent maiden international hundred to anchor the West Indies to a formidable 295 for 7 against India in the opening match of the bilateral series.

After Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field under overcast skies, the visitors weathered an early storm to put up a clinical batting exhibition. The bedrock of the innings was undoubtedly Justin Greaves' century. The 32-year-old opener showed immense maturity, blending caution with aggression to blunt the Indian new-ball attack. Greaves paced his innings beautifully, reaching his landmark century off 108 deliveries, an innings punctuated by elegant drives and authoritative pulls. 

Alongside fellow opener John Campbell, who compiled a steady 62, Greaves stitched together a vital 135-run opening partnership that laid a rock-solid platform for the middle order.

However, India fought back in the middle overs, courtesy of a masterclass in wrist-spin. Kuldeep Yadav four-wicket haul turned the tide just as the West Indies looked set to cross the 300-run mark. The left-arm spinner broke the opening stand and completely dismantled the visitors' middle order with his deceptive variations. Kuldeep finished with exceptional figures of 4 for 40 in his 10 overs, removing dangerous batsmen and momentarily putting the brakes on the scoring rate. 

Prasidh Krishna supported him from the other end, picking up two crucial wickets. Just as India looked to restrict the opposition, a late-innings blitzkrieg swung the momentum back to the Caribbean side. Amir Jangoo's half-century provided the late fireworks the West Indies desperately needed. 

Arriving at the crease with the score reflecting a slight wobble, Jangoo played a fearless brand of cricket. He smashed a rapid 58 off just 43 balls, taking on the Indian pace bowlers in the death overs. His aggressive counter-attack ensured that West Indies scored an imposing 295 before running out of their allotted 50 overs.

The pitch, which offered early assistance to the spinners, appears to be settling down into a fine batting track. Facing a steep target of 296 runs, the Indian batting lineup will need a strong start from their top order to successfully execute the chase. 

The match remains finely poised, with the Indian batsmen required to score at nearly six runs per over against a disciplined West Indian bowling unit hungry to secure a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.