Jangoo calls for greater batting effort

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India:

West Indies batsman Amir Jangoo believes his team fell 20 to 30 runs short of a competitive total, following their eight-wicket defeat to India in the opening One-Day International (ODI) at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.

The visitors posted 295 for seven in their 50 overs, a total that India chased down with ease, reaching 300 for two in just 41.4 overs. The Indians were powered by a stunning 139 not out from Virat Kohli and a captain’s knock of 110 from Shubman Gill.

Jangoo, who contributed a composed 58, acknowledged the challenge of facing a world-class Indian side in their home conditions, but rued the missed opportunity to put more pressure on the hosts.

“To be fair, I think we knew coming to India would have been an uphill battle, but we knew that we wanted to compete and actually win games,” said Jangoo.

“I think getting to 296 probably falls short by, say, 20, 30 runs. So we just tried to make it as difficult as possible for them. Obviously, they have outstanding players, and they got the job done.”

Solid contribution

The West Indies innings was built on a solid 101-run contribution from Justin Greaves, an effort that Jangoo was quick to praise.

“I think Justin was absolutely superb today. Credit goes to him,” Jangoo said. “He’s such a hard worker, and it’s really good to see the way he batted today. I think he was just outstanding and, yeah, he set up the foundation for the team.”

However, the total proved insufficient against an Indian batting line-up that made the chase look easy. Jangoo also highlighted the impact of India’s spinners, particularly Kuldeep Yadav, who broke the back of the West Indies middle order with figures of four for 40.

“I think Kuldeep and [Ravindra] Jadeja ended up coming into their own and made it a bit difficult for our batters in the middle,” he noted. “When I came to bat, I think it was just about building a partnership with [Roston] Chase. And then, once I faced probably 20 balls, I know I just tried my best to carry up my strike rate and try to pick the right balls.

“The wicket was a good one. The ground is not the biggest as well. So we’re all about executing and, luckily enough, it came off for me. It’s a good start for me in the series.”

Technical adjustments

The 29-year-old, playing in India for the first time, was asked about the technical adjustments required.

“I think not really many adjustments. I think wickets in the Caribbean are a bit more difficult. So I think coming to these conditions is a bit easier, I will say,” he explained.

Despite the loss, Jangoo remains focused on regrouping for the remainder of the series.

“I think, for us now, it’s just to regroup, see where we went wrong, what we can improve on, and look forward to the next game.”

India lead the three-match ODI series 1-0.