06 December,2011 12:43 PM IST | | Agencies
Livid with the flop-show of the top-order, which also includes him, India's stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag said its poor performance was the prime reason for the hosts' 16-run loss in the third ODI against West Indies here.
Chasing a challenging 261 for victory, Rohit Sharma struck a classy 95 but the rest of the Indian top-order failed to fire and the team was ultimately bowled out for 244 in 46.5 overs last night.
Sharma, whose 100-ball knock was laced with 10 fours and a six, and Ravichandran Ashwin (31 in 64 balls) put on a defiant stand of 91 in 115 balls to keep India in the hunt after a top-order collapse.
"The total was ok to chase but we lost couple of early wickets with me and Gautam (Gambhir) getting out back-to-back in the second over. And after that we did not have a good partnership in the top order. If we lose early wickets it is difficult to chase," Sehwag said at the post-match press conference.
"We have to look at our top order. We have to click and fire. We have to give a good start as a team so that we can achieve any target or set any target for the West Indies in the coming games," added the opener, who fell for a first ball duck along with his Delhi mate Gambhir.
West Indian speedster Ravi Rampaul, who went on to bag the man-of-the-match award with a haul of four for 57, dismissed the duo off his first two balls.
Sehwag said he, Gambhir, off-colour Suresh Raina, and Parthiv Patel, who made a quick-fire 39, need to pull up their socks in the remaining two ODIs.
"It is not only (Suresh) Raina who is not scoring runs. It is myself, Parthiv (Patel) and Gautam who are not scoring runs. Only Rohit (Sharma) and (Virat) Kohli are scoring," Sehwag said.
