PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

An uninspired West Indies were again let down by inept batting and crashed to a four-wicket defeat in the opening one-day international of the five-match series against India here yesterday.

Their inadequate total of 214 for five off their 50 overs left their bowlers with too much to do on a lifeless Queen's Park Oval pitch, and India overcame some early jitters to cruise to 217 for six with just over five overs left.

The visitors' run chase was anchored by a unbeaten 68 from Rohit Sharma while opener Shikhar Dhawan got 51 in only his second ODI innings.

Pacer Ravi Rampaul claimed two for 58 while leg-spinner Anthony Martin finished with two for 39, but regrettably there were not enough runs to bowl at.

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels stroked half-centuries after West Indies had earlier won the toss and opted to bat.

With the hosts struggling at 59 for three in the 19th over, Sarwan hit 56 and Samuels, 55, to pull the innings around.

The two stylish right-handers posted 82 for the third wicket, laying the platform for a late innings rally that never materialised as India's varied attack kept a tight rein on scoring.

Off-spinners Harbhajan Singh (3-32) and Suresh Raina (2-23) led the attack while seamers Praveen Kumar (2-37) and Munaf Patel (2-47) snatched two wickets apiece.

Sarwan faced 94 balls and stroked five fours while Samuels struck three fours and two sixes in an innings that required 75 balls.

However, their partnership was a slow one consuming 118 balls and it left West Indies with plenty to do at the business end of the innings.

lost three quick wickets

The duo seemed set to push on when Sarwan flicked a leg-side catch to the wicketkeeper off Munaf in the 38th over and Samuels followed him soon after, bowled between his legs trying to pull a straight one from Raina.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo then cracked 22 from 20 balls with a six but when he was stumped off Harbhajan in the 45th over at 191 for six, West Indies could only scrape 23 runs from the last five overs as they lost three quick wickets.

West Indies were in with a chance when they reduced India to 61 for three in the 16th over but successive partnerships batted them out of the game.

The slide was triggered by Dwayne Bravo whose direct hit accounted for Parthiv Patel (13) at 29 for one in the sixth over and it continued when Virat Kohli featured a catch behind off Rampaul in the next over for two.

When Subramaniam Badrinath (17) also edged behind off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, the Windies scented an upset but these lofty notions were quickly dispelled by two solid partnerships.

Sharma, who hit three fours and a six off 75 balls, combined with Dhawan in a stand of 53 for the fourth wicket to repair the innings before Dhawan gifted his wicket by holing out to midwicket off Martin in the 26th over.

His dismissal paved the way for an 80-run, fifth-wicket stand between Sharma and his captain Raina whose 43 came from 50 balls and included four fours.

By the time Raina lofted Martin to Simmons at long-on in the 41st over, any chance the Windies had of a win had already slipped.