West Indies batsman Amir Jangoo believes his team fell 20 to 30 runs short of a competitive total after they suffered an eight-wicket defeat to India in the opening One-Day International at the Greenfield International Stadium here on Sunday.
The visitors posted 295 for 7 in their 50 overs, a total that India chased down with ease, reaching 300 for 2 in just 41.4 overs, powered by a stunning 139 not out from Virat Kohli and a captain’s knock of 110 from Shubman Gill.
West Indies batsman Amir Jangoo
Jangoo, who contributed a composed 58, acknowledged the challenge of facing a world-class Indian side in their home conditions but rued the missed opportunity to put more pressure on the hosts.
‘To be fair, I think we knew coming to India would have been an uphill battle, but we knew that we wanted to compete and actually win games,’ Jangoo said following the match. ‘I think getting to 296 probably falls short by, say, 20, 30 runs. So we just tried to make it as difficult as possible for them. Obviously, they have outstanding players, and they got the job done.’
The West Indies innings was built on a solid 101-run contribution from Justin Greaves, an effort that Jangoo was quick to praise.
‘I think Justin was absolutely superb today. Credit goes to him,’ Jangoo said. ‘He’s such a hard worker, and it’s really good to see the way he batted today. I think he was just outstanding, and yeah, he set up the foundation for the team.’
However, the total proved insufficient against an Indian batting lineup that made the chase look easy. Jangoo also highlighted the impact of India’s spinners, particularly Kuldeep Yadav, who broke the back of the West Indies middle order with figures of 4 for 40.
‘I think Kuldeep and [Ravindra] Jadeja ended up coming into their own and made it a bit difficult for our batters in the middle,’ he noted. ‘When I came to bat, I think it was just about building a partnership with [Roston] Chase. And then once I faced probably 20 balls, I know I just tried my best to carry up my strike rate, and try to pick the right balls.’
Reflecting on his own innings and the conditions, Jangoo added: ‘The wicket was a good one. The ground is not the biggest as well. So we’re all about executing and luckily enough it came off for me. It’s a good start for me in the series.’
The 29-year-old, playing in India for the first time, was asked about the technical adjustments required. He suggested the transition from Caribbean pitches was not as daunting as some might think.
‘I think not really many adjustments. I think wickets in the Caribbean are a bit more difficult. So I think coming to these conditions is a bit easier, I will say,’ he explained. ‘Even though the bowling lineup is obviously world-class, I think as you can see, once the conditions are in your favour as a batsman, it doesn’t really matter who’s bowling to you, to be fair. So yeah, for us, it’s all about playing as a team, I would say, and as a batting unit and let everyone play their roles to the best of their abilities.’
Looking ahead to the second ODI, Jangoo emphasised the need for the batting unit to adapt and apply pressure more effectively.
‘I think we have to see how the conditions are as well when we go to the second ODI. I think today the ball got a bit older that I noticed, and when it got a bit older, it started to spin a bit more,’ he said. ‘But I think all of us are different batsmen. We have our individual skills. So it’s all about what all of us have to do is to put him under pressure as well. I think we allowed him to get into his spell, given the start that we had as well.’
Despite the loss, Jangoo remains focused on regrouping for the remainder of the series.
‘I think for us now it’s just to regroup, see where we went wrong, what we can improve on, and look forward to the next game,’ he concluded.
India lead the 3-match ODI series 1-0.