IND VS WI - 3rd ODI, Windies tour of India, 2018

India have been forced to see the mirror now. The reflection from it is a bit blurred. Just like the balance of the team. Kohli though continues to prove that DNAs can't be replicated because there was not and there can't be another one like him. Third consectuive ton in this series and five tons out of last six games at home. 38 ODI tons! So, Kohli the skipper has more at hand to do rather than Kohli the batsman. Windies on the other hand have played like a well-oiled machine barring a few rusts here and there. It is deadlocked at 1-1 and all to play for at Brabourne. This is Kumar Abhisekh Das scooting away and waving a quick bye on behalf of Akshay Maanay, Varun Dikshit, Nikhil Jadhav and our scoring enthusiast Sreenivas.

Ashley Nurse, Man of the Match: I guess it was my day. I guess I played with a lot of free spirit. When Shai got out, I had to do something because the score was not that big. Sometimes you can be the hero, sometimes it can go down to zero as well. If I get a 50-50 chance to win the game, I back myself to do it. Just dedicating the celebration to my Indian friend - Sunny Sohal, whom I met at the CPL. He told me, when you get a wicket do a 'Babaji ka thullu' or something.

Jason Holder: Credit to the boys. We hung in the game for as long as possible. We did really well to get to the 280-run mark. It was important for me to stay out there but that didn't happen. I should have batted deeper. Something to learn there. We hung in there. They were probably a batter short. We knew if we remove Dhoni, we could get in to their lower order and put pressure on them. (Nurse) He is a competitor. I know what to expect from him. He keeps it tight and gives us wickets at regular intervals. The guys are learning better. We still need to touch up on few things and need to be consistent. We need to buck up a lot more and pay a lot more attention to it. If you want to beat the best teams, you have to be consistent in all aspects of the game, all the three departments.

Virat Kohli: We bowled pretty well. I think the wicket was not offering much in the first 35 overs. Later half it became difficult. From 227 for 8 we should have been chasing 250-260 at the maximum. The bowling effort was professional just that we give it away in the last 10 overs. It was a pretty gettable total. We did not get the partnerships going, that does not happen too often. In the field we were fine. We didn't execute our plans to perfection. This Windies side is an explosive side and they can beat any team on a given day. They played better cricket and they deserve to win. Look when Hardik and Kedar both play, we get the extra option. When someone like Hardik is not playing, who gives you both bowling and batting option, it is difficult to get the balance. Kedar comes into the side in the next game, that'll give us the balance and depth in the batting. You will always drift to one side when you don't have the balance. We have to think about the perfect balance we need. I don't want to talk about my batting. It is a bit embarrassing when people ask you the same thing again and again. I wanted to go after him (Samuels) and just did not execute well. Definitely, we have to take the wins and losses in our stride, was just a bad day at the office. Just shake the loss away. Our plans are in place and we just need to execute better.

Samuels: Yeah definitely (on him being the side to take Kohli's wicket). I have not been bowling in the nets much as I am coming back from a knee injury. We are playing as a unit and we are getting stronger and stronger. For me to sit in the dressing room and watch Shai Hope bat in the way he's been batting, we have been having a lot of discussion on how to bat on the Indian tracks, is wonderful. He is definitely one for the future. He's (Hetmyer) fearless. He is brave, he has to get consistent. Very important going into the next game 1-1, we wouldn't want to go 2-0. We will take the next game even more seriously and as long as we are good in all three departments we will be good. We are looking to win and not only compete.

Shai Hope: I am becoming more consistent, so I am pleased. We lost wickets at some crucial stages so I had to put up my hand up and bat through the innings. My aim was to bat as deep as possible. My preparation is same. I haven't changed anything from the Test series.

Kohli's ODI 100s in losing run chases:
123(111) vs NZ, Napier, 2014
106(92) vs Aus, Canberra, 2016
107(119) vs WI, Pune, 2018

Now to the questions which stare both the teams. Both teams have a hollow middle order. Samuels and Powell have looked clueless for Windies and India have had the same issue with Pant throwing away a couple of starts and Dhoni's wretched run entering extended territory. He will have to contribute more with the bat to ensure he is not a liability for the WC squad. Alarm bells have been rung and the sound will only get louder. It is 1-1 and with Kedar Jadhav coming into the squad for the last two ODIs, who sits out in the next game? My guess is one which a lot of people won't be able to fathom but looks likely. Let's wait for the awards ceremony.

The tragedy waiting to happen in the last game has struck India, finally. There were a few reasons which contributed to a rare loss at home. Firstly, Kohli got it wrong at the toss. There was more bite for the spinners in the second half. Secondly, only five batsmen and a keeper ensured Bhuvneshwar was batting at seven! Thirdly, India's inabilty to clean up the the lower-order for the third successive time in the series. Windies were 227 for 8 and India allowed them to get to 283. And lastly, Windies have been by far one of the most competitive tourists, in white ball cricket, that India have hosted in the near future. India's first loss in 9 ODIs which includes a couple of tied affairs.

Samuels to Bumrah, out Caught by Holder!! First loss for India at home when Kohli has scored a ton in a run-chase. India have been humbled by 43 runs. Big win for the Windies. Eye-opener for India. That was short, Bumrah poked at it and it bobbled off the gloves of the keeper to be taken by the man at first slip. Samuels finishes with a three-fer and is chuffed to bits. Bumrah c Holder b Samuels 0(3)

Samuels to Bumrah, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Samuels to Kuldeep Yadav, 1 run, goes back and cuts the ball past cover for a single. Has to be content with a single as he called for two

Samuels to Kuldeep Yadav, no run, lifts the ball over the bowler's head and again does not take the single

Samuels to Kuldeep Yadav, no run, chips down the track and drives the ball down to long-off. Refuses the single

Holder to Bumrah, no run, length delivery outside off and Bumrah has left it alone

India will have lots to ponder over. So, many questions all of a sudden stare them at their face.

Holder to Bumrah, no run, right up there and has been blocked out into the on-side

The requirement is an academic one. 45 needed off 20 balls.

Holder to Kuldeep Yadav, 1 run, fuller ball and has been whipped down to long-on

Holder to Kuldeep Yadav, wide, slips it down leg and has been wided