Kohli and Rohit hit tons as India drub Windies by 8 wickets
Kohli, Rohit hit tons as India drub Windies by 8 wickets
Guwahati, Oct. 21: Skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hit sparkling centuries on Sunday to lead India’s eight- wicket demolition of West Indies in the first one- day international here.
Kohli made 140 and Sharma took an unbeaten 152 for a record 246 runs to flay the West Indies bowling attack during their team’s 323- run chase.
The hosts, who swept the two- Test series against the visiting Caribbean side, romped home with 47 balls to spare.
The effort from Kohli and Sharma easily overshadowed a dominant 106 by West Indies batsman Shermon Hetmyer in his team’s 322- 8 after being put into bat first.
In reply, India lost opener Shikhar Dhawan in just the second over of the innings after he was bowled by debutant fast bowler Oshane Thomas.
Kohli then took charge with Sharma, who was happy playing second fiddle to his inform captain, as the duo put on India’s biggest- ever ODI stand against West Indies for any wicket.
The skipper built on his quickfire fifty to get his 36th ODI ton in just 88 deliveries, hitting Roach for a boundary to make the threefigure mark amid loud cheers from a packed home crowd.
Sharma, who was relatively quiet till his captain’s 100, soon got cracking and reached his century with a boundary off spinner Ashley Nurse.
The two marauding batsmen started to toy with the opposition bowlers before Dev end ra Bishoo got Kohli stumped against the run of play. Kohli smashed 21 fours and 2 sixes.
Sharma went on to hit the winning six with Ambati Rayudu, who remained unbeaten on 22, at the other end.
West Indies had their moments in the game when Hetmyer smashed six fours and six sixes during his 78- ball knock to give his side what looked like a competitive total.
Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal claimed three wickets, returning impressive figures of 3- 41 from his 10 overs, to check West Indies’ surge.
Hetmyer, who registered his third ODI century in just his 13th game, built crucial partnerships including a 60- run sixth wicket stand with skipper Jason Holder, who made 38.
Bishoo, on 22, and Kemar Roach, on 26, put on 44 runs for their ninth wicket unbeaten stand to take West Indies well past the 300- run mark, which in the end proved insufficient to test the Indian batting. The second ODI in the five- game series is scheduled for Wednesday in Vizag.
These 320+ totals are always tricky. But we knew it’s all about one partnership. And life isn’t difficult when Rohit is at the other end. It’s very rare to see Rohit playing second fiddle. Among the top three, I’ve preferred the anchor role, but today I felt good and told Rohit play the anchor role.
— VIRAT KOHLI