Iyer, Pant help India sweep ODI series against West Indies

Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant hit half-centuries to set up a thumping 96-run victory for India in the third one-day international (ODI) against the West Indies and sweep the series on Friday.

Iyer, who made 80, and Pant, who hit 56, guided India to 265 after they lost three early wickets while batting first in Ahmedabad.

Bowlers, led by pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj, then combined to bowl out the West Indies for 169 in 37.1 overs to seal their first ever ODI whitewash over their opponents.

Siraj and fellow paceman Prasidh Krishna took three wickets apiece, while quick bowler Deepak Chahar and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also claimed two each.

But it was the 110-run fourth-wicket partnership between Iyer and Pant that made India bounce back from 43-3, having lost two key wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for nought.

Chahar and Washington Sundar, who made 33, got useful cameos before India were bowled out on the final ball of the 50th over.

For the West Indies, pace bowler Jason Holder stood out with figures of 4-34.

Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph struck twice in the same over to take the wickets of Rohit (13) and Kohli - for the second time in the series - to rattle the hosts.

Rohit edged an incoming delivery on to his stumps for 13 while Kohli, who scored eight and 18 in the first two matches, got caught behind in his attempt to flick the ball down the leg side.

Dhawan, who returned to the team after recovering from Covid-19 along with Iyer, departed for 10 after a 26-ball stay.

But the right-left batting pair of Iyer and Pant got going to rebuild the innings and take the attack to the West Indies bowlers.

Chahar, at number eight, played an attacking knock and put on 53 runs for the seventh wicket with Sundar