.jpg?type=hq)
West Indies (Source: AFP)
New Zealand secured a 3-1 lead in the five-match ODI series against the West Indies after registering a thrilling one-wicket victory in the 4th ODI at Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 19.
The Black Caps bounced back strongly after losing the opening match, winning three games in a row.
The series began with the West Indies winning the first ODI by seven wickets. However, New Zealand responded in style by winning the second ODI by 5 wickets, followed it up with a six-wicket victory in the 3rd ODI, and then edged out the hosts by just one wicket in a nail-biting fourth ODI.
The latest defeat has also dealt a major blow to West Indies' hopes of qualifying directly for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
After the match, batter Amir Jangoo admitted that the team had not performed well enough and accepted that they now face the difficult challenge of playing through the World Cup qualifiers once again.
New Zealand Fight Back To Win Another Close Contest
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bowl first. West Indies made a positive start and reached 54/1 without much trouble.
However, the game changed completely once New Zealand's spinners came into the attack. The hosts suffered a dramatic collapse, losing five wickets for just 27 runs to slip from 54/1 to 81/6.
Just when it looked like WI would be bowled out for a very low score, Gudakesh Motie and Amir Jangoo steadied the innings with an excellent 81-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Also Read: Tribute To Garry Sobers: A Look Back At West Indies Legend's Most Prolific Records
New Zealand's chase got off to the worst possible start as they slipped to 6/2 after Matthew Forde removed Henry Nicholls and Nick Kelly cheaply. Mark Chapman then played the innings that kept New Zealand alive.
With New Zealand looking comfortable, rain interrupted play and shifted the momentum. Gudakesh Motie returned after the break and claimed five wickets, reducing the visitors to 179/9. The match went down to the final wicket, but a dropped catch by West Indies proved costly.
Amir Jangoo Admits WI Have Fallen Short
After the heartbreaking defeat, West Indies batter Amir Jangoo admitted that the team had only itself to blame for being on the verge of another World Cup qualifying campaign.
He also admitted that failing to bat through the full 50 overs has become a major concern for the side. According to Jangoo, the players need to improve quickly and make sure they finish the series strongly before focusing on the qualification campaign.
"The kind of quality that this team has, I think we don't deserve to be going to the qualifiers," Jangoo said. "It's just that's the position that we're in. But we know the quality that we have in our dressing room… all the bowlers, even young Vitel Lawes that we see making a breakthrough in this series here."
"So it's great signs to see. Going forward now, we have to play the right cricket and get those wins on the board for West Indies."
"We haven't batted 50 overs in three games now," Jangoo said. "So I think that's on us, something that we have to look at internally in ourselves as batsmen and see how much we can better ourselves. And we have one more game to rectify that," Amir Jangoo stated.
"[It's a] pretty difficult pill to swallow because we know how much was at stake here for this game. So it's all about understanding where we went wrong. We know the quality that we have in our team. I think going forward, we know what we have to work on, and for the qualifiers, we'll be ready." Amir Jangoo added.
Can West Indies Still Directly Qualify For ODI World Cup 2027?
The path of direct qualification for the West Indies in the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup now seems difficult after losing the series to New Zealand.
WI are currently ranked 10th with 75 rating points. They now trail teams like Afghanistan (90) and Bangladesh (83), meaning they will need a strong run of results over the next few months to move into the top eight.
If they fail to improve their ranking before the cutoff, West Indies will once again have to play in the ODI World Cup Qualifiers, just as they did before the 2023 edition, which they failed to qualify for.
Their next opportunity to improve their ranking will come in a three-match ODI series against India, beginning on September 27.
Also Read: First Ireland, Then England: UK Tour Leaves India With More Questions Than Answers
