Two matches. Two dominant India wins. Then October 3 in Chandigarh. A first-ball duck for the man who scored 139 not out just six days ago. A century that became 145 not out. And a West Indies side that finally showed what they are capable of when they bowl first, bat freely, and have nothing to lose. The series belongs to India. The third game belongs entirely to the Caribbean.
The Series Result
India win ODI Series 2-1 as West Indies won the 3rd game by 5 wickets chasing 351. The first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram went to India by eight wickets with Kohli scoring 139 not out. The second ODI in Guwahati went to India by eight wickets with Gill scoring 223 and Rohit hitting his 35th century. The third ODI in New Chandigarh on October 3 went to West Indies by five wickets with 10 balls remaining.
West Indies won the dead rubber. They cannot take the series. They showed in the third match exactly the batting quality they failed to show in the first two. Shai Hope produced the innings that summarised everything West Indies can be at their best.
India’s Innings: 351 for 7
India batted first at PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. KL Rahul was the star with 129 not out. Rohit Sharma contributed a fifty. Ruturaj Gaikwad added a fifty. India posted 351 for 7 from their 50 overs.
The innings had two contrasting moments that defined the match narrative completely. Rohit Sharma survived an early review after being challenged for lbw in the fourth over. The review struck down and Rohit continued. Then Virat Kohli arrived. He faced one ball from Jayden Seales. He was caught behind for a first-ball duck. New Chandigarh was stunned.
That duck was Kohli’s first since consecutive ducks against Australia in October 2025. After 139 not out in the first ODI and 29 off 19 in the second, his golden run in this series ended abruptly in the third. KL Rahul’s unbeaten 129 provided the anchor that kept India’s total competitive. Mohammed Siraj made his return to the side and took an early wicket in the bowling innings. Harshit Kamboj made his ODI debut. India were testing their depth in a dead rubber they did not need to win.
West Indies’ Chase: Hope Carries Them Home
West Indies needed 352. Shai Hope made it look straightforward. He scored 145 not out. His captain’s innings was the difference between a total that should have won the match for India and a total that West Indies chased with 10 balls remaining.
Hope and Sherfane Rutherford built a significant partnership. Rutherford contributed before surviving a review and eventually departing at 203 for 2 in the 29th over. Hope was on 92 at the drinks break in the 29th over. He went on to complete his century. Then his 150-plus total.
West Indies needed 35 runs from 20 balls in the final stages. Hope was still there. He was always going to get them home. West Indies chased 352 in 48.2 overs for the loss of five wickets. Five wickets. Ten balls remaining. In a dead rubber match. Against one of the world’s best bowling attacks.
Kohli’s First-Ball Duck: The Story That Defines the Third Match
First ball. Jayden Seales. Caught behind. Zero. It was the moment New Chandigarh had not come to see and got anyway. Kohli’s first-ball duck in this match produced the most discussed individual moment of the entire ODI series.
The context makes it even more striking. He scored 139 not out batting at number four in the first ODI. He scored 29 off 19 in the second before Rutherford caught him. Now he departed first ball without troubling the scorer. That is the specific contradiction that cricket delivers constantly. The world’s best batter in this format going out first ball in a dead rubber was the moment that will define how people remember this series almost as much as the record-breaking chases in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati.
His ODI career, the records he has set and where this series sits in his World Cup building campaign is explored in our piece on the top 10 active batsmen in the world.
Shai Hope’s 145 Not Out: Career-Defining Innings
Shai Hope needed this innings personally as much as West Indies needed it collectively. He had scored 104 in the second ODI at Guwahati. He had captained West Indies with class throughout the series. He watched his side concede eight-wicket defeats in both completed matches. The third game was his opportunity to respond.
His 145 not out was his highest ODI score. It was also the innings that answered every question about his place in world cricket’s conversation about the greatest ODI batters of his generation. He finished the series as West Indies’ top scorer across all three matches. His consistency across three different conditions in three different cities across ten days showed exactly why he has become West Indies cricket’s most important limited-overs player.
His recent performance passing Brian Lara to become West Indies’ second-highest ODI centurion with his hundred in Guwahati and now following it with 145 here puts him in genuinely distinguished company at the very top of his powers. His standing in the format is part of the broader conversation about active batting greats explored in our piece on the top 10 active batsmen in the world, where this 145 adds a significant new data point to his case.
What West Indies’ Series Performance Means
West Indies lost the series 2-1. They were comprehensively beaten in the first two matches. They won the dead rubber. Nothing about that sequence changes their direct World Cup qualification situation. That window closed on September 30. They head to the World Cup Qualifier in February-March 2027.
But this third match gives them something important heading into that qualifier. They know they can post 405 for 7 and lose by eight wickets. They know they can chase 352 with five wickets in hand against India’s full bowling attack. Their confidence as a batting unit is in a very different place after October 3 than it was after September 27 and September 30.
Daren Sammy’s coaching staff will point specifically to Hope’s consistency and the batting depth that finally emerged in the third match. Rutherford’s contribution. Jangoo’s availability at the death. John Campbell’s sustained form across all three matches. The pieces for a competitive World Cup Qualifier campaign are visible in this third ODI result in ways they were not visible after the first two. The broader story of what this series means for India’s build-up toward the 2027 World Cup in South Africa is explored in our piece on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 complete guide.
India’s World Cup Build-Up: Series Assessment
India won the series 2-1. Two wins were completely dominant. One loss was in a dead rubber where they rested Kohli’s preparation as less important than giving Kamboj a debut and Siraj a return.
The first two matches produced remarkable individual performances. Kohli 139 not out. Gill 223. Rohit 101. Kuldeep 200 ODI wickets. Two record-breaking run chases in consecutive matches. The 2027 World Cup preparation campaign has started with the kind of batting performances that give selection committees no headaches and opposition bowling attacks nightmares.
KL Rahul’s 129 not out in the third match is also significant. He averaged over 50 in the series. His wicketkeeping continues to evolve. His batting in the middle order gives India a genuine anchor option when the top three are all dismissed cheaply.
Series Summary
| Match | Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | September 27 | Thiruvananthapuram | India won by 8 wickets |
| 2nd ODI | September 30 | Guwahati | India won by 8 wickets |
| 3rd ODI | October 3 | New Chandigarh | West Indies won by 5 wickets |
| Series | India won 2-1 |
Conclusion
India won the ODI series against West Indies 2-1. West Indies took the dead rubber in New Chandigarh by five wickets with 10 balls to spare. Shai Hope scored 145 not out. Kohli was out for a first-ball duck. KL Rahul hit 129 not out. Rohit and Gaikwad both scored fifties. India posted 351 and still lost the match. West Indies showed they can chase with quality when their batting fires in unison. The series belongs to India. The third game belongs to Hope.
