India thrashing leaves hosts in chaos

Last updated at 08:41 13 March 2007

India thrashed hosts

West Indies by nine wickets after bowling them out for 85 in

their final warm-up game on Friday.

The defeat plunged the hosts into a crisis four days before

Tuesday's Group D opener against Pakistan but provided India,

the 1983 champions, the perfect build-up for the tournament.

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After winning the toss and electing to bat, Brian Lara's men failed to get going on a seamer-friendly surface in Jamaica and lasted just 25.5 overs. Lara top scored with 22 as only three West Indians reached double figures.

West Indies captain Lara said this match left his team with a lot of work to do. "Our plans for this game did not get anywhere as we did not apply ourselves," Lara said.

"We now need to apply our minds to the reason for suffering such batting collapses and hope to turn it around quickly."

Munaf Patel exploited the pitch to grab four for 10 from his six overs, while left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan chipped in with three wickets for 25 in the final warm-up game for both sides

before the World Cup begins in earnest next Tuesday.

Dravid credited his bowlers with unsettling the local batsmen. "The way Munaf bowled was exceptional, it's delighted us all," he said. "We've got a lot of confidence from this clinical and professional performance.

"Coming here and beating the West Indies convincingly gives us a big boost, we need to build on this ... this performance should boost our confidence when we take on the West Indies in the Super 8s."

India reached 86 for one in reply in 18.3 overs despite

losing opening batsman Virender Sehwag for a duck.

Opener Robin Uthappa was 35 not out and Dinesh Karthik

promoted to number three, made 38 not out, the pair adding an

80-run unbroken second-wicket partnership.

India, who beat Netherlands by 182 runs on Tuesday, play

Bangladesh in their first group B tie on March 17.