Ahead of a crucial match in the series, West Indies categorically declared their intention to walk out again if they felt that the safety of their players was at risk. Elaborate security measures were planned for the day-night encounter at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera, with nervous senior police officials and cricket administrators promising a trouble-free game.

"Of course we want the remaining four matches in the series to be completed," Ricky Skerritt, the team manager, said on the eve of the match. "But if the players are at risk, we will walk out again."

All three previous matches in the series suffered curtailment after players walked off when objects were thrown at them from the stands. At Rajkot on November 12, when India were 200 for 1 chasing a target of 300, West Indies refused to resume play after they claimed three players were targeted with plastic bottles.

Mike Procter, the match referee, awarded the game to India, based on the Duckworth-Lewis system that is used usually for rain-hit matches.

Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Baroda - the venue of the fifth ODI on Monday - are in the state of Gujarat, which suffered terrible communal violence earlier this year. Ahmedabad was the epicentre of the bloodshed, and it will be rich irony and welcome relief for cricket fans in India if the city ended up hosting the first trouble-free match of the series.

As in the earlier two matches, police officials and administrators in Ahmedabad promised fool-proof security arrangements. Procter held a meeting with them on Thursday. Spectators will not be allowed to to carry anything inside the ground that could be used as missiles to hit the players, reassured senior police officals.

Around 2000 security personnel were to be deployed for today's day-night match, including plain-clothed policemen in the stands to spot hooligans.

Meanwhile, the West Indian camp strongly reacted to allegations that they overreacted in the Rajkot match. Vivian Richards, now their chief selector, wrote in his syndicated column: "Accusing us of overreaction is merely an attempt by certain officials to defend their turf after failing to provide adequate security."

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