India tour of West Indies: India script history, clean sweep ODI series in West Indies in 39 years

India scripted history as they achieved a maiden One-Day International clean sweep in the West Indies in 39 years since the sides started playing bilateral ODIs in the Caribbean in 1983.

India had never been able to whitewash West Indies in an away series comprising three or more ODI matches. The Men in Blue, who previously clean swept West Indies in India earlier this year, created history by winning the third and final ODI match at Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday (July 27).

India defeated West Indies by 119 runs (DLS) in the third ODI after Yuzvendra Chahal took a four-wicket haul. Shubman Gill, who set up the match for India, missed out on hitting his maiden ODI century as he was left stranded on 98 not out after rain reduced the match to 36-over-per-side.

With an unparalleled feat, Shikhar Dhawan has become the first India captain to complete the ODI clean sweep in the Caribbean. Overall, this is India’s 13th clean sweep in ODI cricket and third away after winning in Zimbabwe (2013, 2015, 2016) and Sri Lanka (2017).

Moreover, India have become the only third team to double whitewash a team in a calender year. Other teams who hold the honours are Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Zimbabwe achieved the feat against Bangladesh in 2001, winning by 4-0 at home and 3-0 away. In 2006, Bangladesh clean swept Kenya by 3-0 at home and away.

Earlier, Dhawan became the only fifth India captain after Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Virat Kohli to clinch an ODI series in West Indies. India won their first ODI series in West Indies when the Ganguly-led visiting side defeated the hosts by 2-1 in the three-match series in 2002.

MS Dhoni-led India defeated West Indies in 2009 and Suresh Raina-captained side beat West Indies by 3-2 in 2011. Virat Kohli then guided India to a 2-0 win in the three-match series after one of the matches was washed out due to rain. The Kohli-led side defeated West Indies 3-1 in 2017 in the Caribbean.

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