West Indies' fast bowler Ravi Rampaul celebrates with wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (left) after taking the wicket of India's Dinesh Karthik (out of picture) during their second one-day match at Sabina Park yesterday. Rampaul ended the match with 4-37 from his 10 overs. The West Indies won the match by eight wickets. - Ian Allen

Recalled Trinidadian pacer Ravi Rampaul delivered his best ever one-day international performance yesterday to lead the West Indies to a massive eight-wicket win over India in the second match of their 2009 four-match Digicel one-day international series.

Rampaul, who was given a chance after fellow pacer Lionel Baker failed to impress during last Friday's first match of the series in which the West Indies lost by 20 runs, claimed a career-best 4-37 off his allotted 10 overs, as the West Indies, chasing India's most total of 188 off 48.2 overs, made 192-2 off 34.1 overs.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo, 3-26 of nine overs, and Jerome Taylor, 3-35 off 9.2, best supported the 24, year-old Rampaul, who was named Man of the Match.

"I have been working hard in trying to gain a recall and after a successful first-class season, I was able to get an opportunity shot," said Rampaul, who along with Taylor utilised a moist wicket to reduce India to 7-3 in the first two overs of the day.

"The wicket early up was good for fast bowling and I exploited it by putting the ball in the right areas," he added.

The West Indies, after being set by Rampaul and company, coasted to victory on a 101-run partnership off 15.2 overs opening stand from openers, captain Christopher Gayle and another recall, Runako Morton.

Gayle, in his usual belligerent self, scored 64 of 46 balls, while Morton, ticked off 85 off 102 balls, as the West Indies, in front of an appreciative crowd, made sure a series extension.

"We are happy to get the victory and level the series. There was early moisture and Ravi and Taylor utilised it very well. The hope is that we can now go to St Lucia and put in a similar display and win the series," he added.

After being gifted the opportunity of not batting on a pitch which had overnight moisture and was dark in colour, and having the Indians reeling a 7-3, the West Indies did not ease up off the gas and had the visitors scampering at 57-5 and 82-8.

In fact, had it not been for a record regional ODI ninth-wicket stand between Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who top-scored for the Indians with a painstaking but important 130-ball 95, and pacer Rudra Pratap Singh, who third top-scored with 21, India could have folded under the venue's lowest ODI total of 99 made by Zimbabwe during the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

"We took a risk by batting first, but it did not work out. We were unable to bat through the early overs and the West Indies bowlers capitalised," said Singh Dhoni. "We, however, have to shake of this defeat and look forward to the weekend," he added.