体坛英语新闻：India records low-scoring cricket World Cup victory over West Indies

MELBOURNE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- India survived a major batting scare in the ICC World Cup to sneak over the line against the West Indies with a slender four-wicket victory in Western Australia on Friday.

Needing just 183 to win after a top-order collapse from the West Indies, India nearly let a golden opportunity slip when they fell to 6/134 in the 30th over.

But, as he has on countless occasions before, captain MS Dhoni held his nerve and scored an unbeaten 45 from 56 deliveries, joining in a 51-run stand with Ravichandran Ashwin to lead India to a crucial, if unconvincing win.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, the West Indies were the victims of their own demise in the early stages of their innings.

After Mohammed Shami snared the wicket of Dwayne Smith on 6, Marlon Samuels featured in some suicidal running between the wickets to depart for 2, while a Chris Gayle brain fade saw the opener dismissed on 21.

It was a disappointing start and one that left the West Indies reeling at 4/35 just nine overs into their innings. But it would soon get worse.

Shami re-entered the attack and claimed his third, while both Umesh Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja joined him as multiple wicket-takers as their opposition's batting lineup verged on total capitulation.

However, young captain Jason Holder again stood tall in a crisis. Combining in 39- and 51-run partnerships down the order with Darren Sammy and Jerome Taylor respectively, he steered the West Indies to a competitive total.

While Sammy, who made 26 from 55 deliveries, and Taylor, 11 from 18, held firm at one end, Holder bludgeoned India's attack at the other. He carted four boundaries and three over the fence on his way to 57 from 64 balls.

Having never made an ODI half-century before the tournament, Holder now has two in two games, as the West Indies finished on 182 before their captain was eventually the last man out.

In reply, India's run chase never looked convincing. Similar to the West Indies, the batting side got off to a slow start, with Taylor claiming two wickets in his first four overs.

Virat Kohli appeared as though he had stabilized matters, hitting five boundaries and quickly moving to 33, but Andrew Russell secured the prize wicket of India's Test captain as nerves swept through the camp of the reigning champions.

Consistent dismissals were hampering their innings, with Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and Jadeja all making starts, before falling at crucial times.

But, coming in at 4/78, Dhoni would be the cool head that India desperately required. In a low-scoring match, his knock of 45 not out proved the decisive factor in India's victory.

Alongside Ashwin, who was also not out on 16, the pair combined in an unbroken 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket to guide India to their eighth straight ICC World Cup win, dating back to March 2011.