Ravi Rampaul has Virender Sehwag caught behind

Ravi Rampaul has Virender Sehwag caught behind, India v West Indies, 3rd ODI, Ahmedabad, December 5, 2011

©AFP

Ravi Rampaul has Virender Sehwag caught behind, India v West Indies, 3rd ODI, Ahmedabad, December 5, 2011

Ravi Rampaul celebrates after dismissing Virat Kohli

Ravi Rampaul celebrates after dismissing Virat Kohli, 1st ODI, Trinidad, June 6, 2011

© Associated Press

Ravi Rampaul celebrates after dismissing Virat Kohli, 1st ODI, Trinidad, June 6, 2011© Associated Press

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Umar Akmal is congratulated after taking a sharp catch to dismiss Ravi Rampaul

Umar Akmal is congratulated after taking a sharp catch to dismiss Ravi Rampaul, West Indies v Pakistan, 2nd Test, St Kitts, 5th day, May 24, 2011

© Associated Press

Umar Akmal is congratulated after taking a sharp catch to dismiss Ravi Rampaul, West Indies v Pakistan, 2nd Test, St Kitts, 5th day, May 24, 2011 © Associated Press

Pakistan won by 3 wickets

West Indies v Pakistan, 3rd ODI, Barbados

Pakistan won by 3 wickets (with 29 balls remaining)

Misbah stays calm to secure series victory

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan

April 28, 2011

Misbah ul Haq

Pakistan overcame a blistering spell from Ravi Rampaul and some late panic against the impressive Devendra Bishoo to secure the series against West Indies with a three-wicket victory in Barbados. The hosts had collapsed feebly once again, but Pakistan were jolted by Rampaul's four strikes and needed the calm head of Misbah-ul-Haq, who remained cool as Bishoo threatened to turn the game again.

It became a more compelling contest than looked likely during another insipid batting display from West Indies. Then Pakistan again appeared to be cruising at 127 for 4 after a composed stand between Misbah and Hammad Azam. However, Bishoo benefited from some poor umpiring and hot-headed strokes to leave them needing 24 when Wahab Riaz joined Misbah, but there were eventually 29 balls to spare as Wahab launched two sixes in four deliveries to hurry a conclusion.

Misbah was roundly criticised for Pakistan's World Cup semi-final exit against India when his poorly-paced innings proved costly, but in this series he has provided vital ballast in an inexperienced order. Without him here, Pakistan would have lost. This was his third unbeaten score to secure a run chase - although he could have been stumped on 20 if part-time keeper Lendl Simmons had gloved the ball - and showed a technique, and composure, that was lacking among some of his team-mates.

Ravi Rampaul

Despite the early clatter of wickets the required rate was never an issue for Pakistan, which allowed Misbah to bed in and weather the tough passages while Rampaul was in action. This tour started on the slow, low pitch in St Lucia, where the ball barely got above knee height, but this Kensington Oval surface had far more pace and carry for the quick bowlers who were willing to bend their backs.

Ahmed Shehzad, fresh from his hundred three days ago, tried to pull Rampaul's first delivery and top-edged to a back-tracking Simmons and next delivery Asad Shafiq edged to second slip; suddenly the West Indian fans started to find their voice. Mohammad Hafeez was the next to fall to another top-edged pull, which was well taken by Bishoo, running towards deep square-leg, to leave the visitors 12 for 3.

Misbah's natural game is always to cut out risk and bat time; for Umar Akmal it is the opposite and he took the aggressive route. He struck five boundaries in a 27-ball stay before being undone by a wonderful delivery that bounced and shaved the glove as he tried to sway out of the line.

However, from there West Indies couldn't force another breakthrough as Misbah continued to be a steadying presence. Azam, in his first ODI innings, showed composure and pulled a free hit from Andre Russell for six. He also did well to leave the crease so swiftly after Asoka de Silva failed to spot a huge inside edge when he gave an lbw decision in Bishoo's favour - there is no DRS in this series.

Shahid Afridi's batting has disintegrated and, after two boundaries, it was predictable when he attempted a slog over midwicket. Mohammad Salman then showed his inexperience by not running hard when he thought the ball would reach the boundary and was bowled by a flipper that he shouldn't have been facing. Fortunately for Salman it didn't cost the match.

But while West Indies showed spirit in the field their innings followed a depressingly familiar pattern as they lost 8 for 53 after Simmons and Darren Bravo had formed a solid platform with an 86-run stand. Once they were separated, the innings almost came to a stand-still and soon fell in a heap amid a mixture of prods, pokes and hopeless slogs.

Marlon Samuels, who is struggling to adjust back to international cricket, was again culpable in the loss of momentum as he took 35 balls over his 18, while Kirk Edwards laboured until being run out by a direct hit from backward point. Aside from Simmons, and to a lesser extent Darren Bravo, there is precious little confidence in West Indies' line up and it showed as the innings faded away with Wahab taking two in three balls.

Devon Smith's horror trot against Hafeez's offspin had continued when he was trapped lbw first ball, the third time in a row he had fallen in such fashion. After reaching fifty from 61 balls Simmons had time to double his score, but drove a fraction too early and offered a low chance to Saeed Ajmal who took it well in his follow through.

The onus was on Darren Bravo not to follow a similar path of giving away a useful innings, however, having struggled to increase the tempo, he then played across a full ball from Hafeez as the stall kicked in. Any hopes of pushing past 200 vanished in the space of three balls from Wahab as he had both Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo caught at long on. A little bit of sensible batting and this could have been West Indies' match.

Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Ravi Rampaul was expensive but took three wickets

Ravi Rampaul was expensive but took three wickets as West Indies won by seven runs, West Indies v Pakistan, Only Twenty20, St Lucia, April 21, 2011 

©Getty Images

Ravi Rampaul was expensive but took three wickets as West Indies won by seven runs, West Indies v Pakistan, Only Twenty20, St Lucia, April 21, 2011 ©Getty Images

West Indies seamers Kemar Roach, Andre Russell and Ravi Rampaul at practice

West Indies seamers Kemar Roach, Andre Russell and Ravi Rampaul at practice, St Lucia, April 20, 2011

©Associated Press

West Indies seamers Kemar Roach, Andre Russell and Ravi Rampaul at practice, St Lucia, April 20, 2011©Associated Press

Windies steady in chase of 269

Windies steady in chase of 269

India v West Indies, World Cup 2011, Group B, Chennai

Rampaul five-for keeps India to 268

Ravi Rampaul

There are days when Yuvraj Singh feels it, days when he plays one level above the game around him. Today was one such day when on a two-paced pitch, despite mis-hits punctuating the innings, despite dehydration and vomiting on the field, despite Ravi Rampaul taking his first five-for in his first World Cup match, he played some breathtaking shots to bring up his first World Cup century. India might have lost their way once again in the last 10, going from 218 for 3 to 268, but it seemed an above-par total at Chepauk, which has been the fairest pitch of the tournament when it comes to balance between bat and ball.

Virat Kohli, who came back home to No. 3 thanks to a knee injury to Virender Sehwag, supported Yuvraj ably. In familiar environs of not being expected to go at a strike-rate of 150, Kohli did just what was required on a tough pitch after a tough start, scoring 59 off 76, letting Yuvraj take majority of strike in a partnership of 122 from 51 for 2.

West Indies will not be overly pleased with their effort because they could have made things much worse for India. Like they successfully did in the last two World Twenty20s, West Indies tried to bounce India out, and on a hard surface, they tasted some success at the top too. Inside the first 11 overs, two deliveries bounced over the keeper's head for byes, two batsmen got out to deliveries dug in short, one was dropped off another short delivery, but Sulieman Benn - who surprisingly persisted with the new ball despite the obvious plain and bouncy track - went for 21 in his three overs at the top. To make matters worse Sammy dropped Yuvraj twice, chances not easy but not impossible, at 9 and 11.

The man who fashioned West Indies' last win over a Test side other than Bangladesh, back in June 2009, Rampaul, was brought in to replace an unwell Kemar Roach, but the switch didn't hurt West Indies at all. The last ball of his first over reared up from just short of a length, and also straightened, catching the shoulder of Sachin Tendulkar's bat. Benn bowling from the other end meant West Indies didn't capitalise on that first over, but when Gautam Gambhir fell slashing at Rampaul, offering third man a catch, West Indies were still ahead.

This, especially considering that Rampaul and Andre Russell were charged up, and were pumping up some pace and bounce. Soon Russell squared Yuvraj up with a short ball outside off, Sammy at backward point got to the lob, but mistimed the leap and couldn't hold onto it. In the next over, Sammy managed to just get his fingertips to the return chance that flew over his head. The bouncers still kept coming; the odd ball still misbehaved, especially for the left-hand batsman; Yuvraj got dehydrated and barfed, but nothing seemed to be able to stop the Yuvraj specials in between, shots that kept the scoring rate up in the middle overs. Kohli was smart too: he had played 21 deliveries when Yuvraj came to join him, but so good was the strike manipulation that Yuvraj had played 12 more deliveries than him by the time their partnership ended.

During the partnership, Yuvraj pulled over midwicket, cover-drove for fours along the ground, swept the legspin of Devendra Bishoo, and on-drove Sammy over long-on for a majestic six. By the time the partnership was broken, again by Rampaul with a reversing ball just before the 34-over change, Yuvraj was struggling immensely. The singles went down expectedly, but he didn't hit out. That his partners kept falling - MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina followed Kohli for 22 and 4 - might have had a role to play.

Yuvraj Singh

The big hits didn't quite come out, but the lap shot exposed the short fine leg. Frequently Yuvraj got runs there, one such took him from 92 to 96. After he reached the century, he pulled Sammy over midwicket for another six. Once bitten twice shy, India kept the Powerplay for the last five overs, but Kieron Pollard removed Yuvraj with the last ball of the 45th over through a return catch off the slower ball.

That proved to be a big wicket because in the Powerplay, Rampaul continued his superb comeback, stifling Yusuf Pathan, then getting his wicket as India once again failed to play their quota of 50 overs, leaving the door open for West Indies.