West Indies scrape home after crowd trouble at Jamshedpur A fierier start to the seven-game one-day series could not have been anticipated. Not only did the Jamshedpur match provide a thrilling last-ball finish, it also exhibited less-enthralling scenes of an unruly crowd resorting to vandalism and arson as India neared defeat. Admittedly that crowd would not have expected a loss after a hurricane 95 from an Ajit Agarkar promoted to number three, and after VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid helped India to 283, but that is hardly an excuse. The West Indians played good cricket for their win; Wavell Hinds (93) at the top of the order put on a good stand with Marlon Samuels (51), and Sarwan then paced the remainder of the chase intelligently to end on an unbeaten 83. Agarkar - who had a good match right till the last ball - delivered a full toss outside off with three to win, and the ball was promptly tonked through covers for four.

Hooper disappointed by crowd trouble It was, in the end, Ramnaresh Sarwan's cool head that won the West Indies the first one-day international at Jamshedpur, and the young batsman was understandably elated at the post-match press conference. "I was always thinking positive," said Sarwan, who blamed his loss of concentration for not converting good starts into big knocks in the past. "I could see everyone standing on the dressing room balcony and that motivated me." After hitting the last ball to the boundary he threw his arms into the air in jubilation. "I was looking for a yorker," he said of the last ball, bowled by Ajit Agarkar. "I thought the best chance would be to hit straight or through extra cover," he added. The West Indies skipper Carl Hooper congratulated his batsmen for chasing India's stiff total. "They were brilliant," he said. "It was good to see the batsmen held their nerve." Hooper said his team was not worried by the stiff target because matches in India were often high scoring affairs. "We have seen in India that huge scores are posted. 284 was gettable," he said. "But we need to bowl and field better." Hooper was disappointed by the crowd trouble, however. "I have experienced it before in India, but I am a bit disappointed to see it again in 2002," he said. Match referee Mike Procter said he would report the incidents to the International Cricket Council (ICC), but he praised both teams for the way they handled the situation. "It is a little bit disturbing. It was scary with bombs (fire crackers) going off, but both teams were very sporting." Disappointed Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly blamed his bowlers for the defeat. "We fought pretty well, we were in a position to win today, but the bowlers didn't do well," he said.

ICC to investigate incidents at Jamshedpur The ICC has asked for a report from match referee Mike Procter after crowd trouble marred the West Indies victory at Jamshedpur. "It is disappointing that a game has been interrupted, and Mike's report will help us understand why this has taken place," said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed in a statement. "Player safety is critical and incidents of this type should not happen." Speed said the ICC would not comment further on the incidents until the report had been received. Speed reiterated the ICC's commitment to security at match venues. "I know that all Boards work hard to ensure that (trouble) does not occur, and it will be important for us to understand why it has happened on this occasion," he said. "The ICC and representatives of Boards and the players are working together...to ensure that every country has in place effective safety and security plans at all venues."

The West Indian batsmen are surely bouncing back and playing with more confidence, writes Erapalli Prasanna. Click Here Beat the selectors at their own game. Pick your Cricket Fantasy team today. Click Here All your cricketing questions answered. Just Ask Philip. Click Here