India made a mockery of the West Indies' 323-run target by winning the first ODI match with 47 balls to spare at Guwahati on Sunday. Skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma hit hundreds to showcase the might of Indian batting order in the eight-wicket win.
After losing opener Shikhar Dhawan in the second over, Kohli joined Rohit in the centre, then the duo stitched together a 246-run second-wicket stand to close the doors to the Windies. Kohli took the mettle of attacking the visitors, but once he was gone, Rohit assumed the role to sheer perfection.
Earlier, Kohli won the toss and elected to bowl first at Barsapara Cricket Stadium. India handed ODI cap to fast-rising wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, but the youngster had very little to do except fetching the cherry from odd boundaries during the Windies innings.
Windies handed ODI debuts to all-rounder Chandrapaul Hemraj and fast bowler Oshane Thomas.
After a cautious start, Windies rode on Shimron Hetmyer's hundred to post a challenging total of 322/8. Kieran Powell (51 off 39 balls), Shai Hope (32 off 51) and skipper Jason Holder (38 off 42) contributed to the Windies cause.
For India, Yuzvendra Chahal took three wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami claimed a brace each. Shami was, however, the most expensive of the lot, conceding 81 runs in his comeback match. This is an Indian record against the Windies.
India Innings, Target 323 Runs
Result: India Won By 8 Wickets.
Brief Scores:
West Indies: 322 for eight in 50 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 106, Kieran Powell 51; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/41);
India: 326 for two in 42.1 overs (Rohit Sharma 152 not out; Virat Kohli 140; Devendra Bishoo 1/72).
Over 42 | 326/2 (Rohit Sharma 152; Ambati Rayudu 22)
Rohit Sharma hit the winning runs, a six off the first ball of the 43rd over, bowled by debutant Hemraj. India won the match by eight wickets with as many as 47 balls to spare.
Rohit hit three fours and a six in five deliveries to wrap up the match. He remained unbeaten on 152 off 117 balls with the help of 15 fours and eight sixes. In the process, he also went past Sachin Tendulkar as the player with most 150+ scores in ODIs. He has six, to Tendulkar's five.
Over 40 | 306/2 (Rohit Sharma 133; Ambati Rayudu 21)
The contest is being reduced to a farce. Rohit Sharma took over the punisher's role after the departure of Virat Kohli. He and Ambati Rayudu have added 47 runs from 43 balls as India scored 36 runs in the last five overs.
In the 33rd over, Kohli became the second Indian wicket to fall. Stumped by Shai Hope off the bowling off Devendra Bishoo. And with that, a 246-run second-wicket stand was also broken.
Wicket: Kohli st Shai Hope b Bishoo 140(107): Fall Of Wicket: 256/2 (32.6 Overs)
India need 20 runs in 60 balls.
Over 32 | 248/1 (Rohit Sharma 100; Virat Kohli 139)
Now, it's turning into a personal duel between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Both the players have hit hundreds, 36th ODI and 60th international for Kohli, and 20th ODI ton for Rohit.
He and Rohit Sharma have added 238 runs in 182 balls, with 62 of those coming in the last five overs.
India still need another 73 runs.
Over 25 | 168/1 (Rohit Sharma 65; Virat Kohli 94)
Rohit Sharma has joined Virat Kohli is punishing the Windies bowlers. The opener reached his 37th ODI fifty in the 22nd over, two balls after hitting Devendra Bishoo for back-to-back sixes.
He and Kohli have added 158 runs in 140 balls as India inched closer to the target. This is India's highest second-wicket stand against the Windies in ODIs, surpassing 140 by Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina in Indore, 2011.
India scored 41 runs in the last five overs. India still need another 155 runs.
Over 19 | 121/1 (Rohit Sharma 34; Virat Kohli 80)
A 111-run second wicket stand between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma seemed to have flattened the Windies in Guwahati. Kohli is 20 runs from his 60 international hundred.
Rohit is batting sensible, giving as many balls to the skipper.
India scored 28 runs in the last five overs. India still need another 202 runs.
Over 12 | 87/1 (Rohit Sharma 23; Virat Kohli 57)
Virat Kohli is in supreme touch. Reached his 49th ODI fifty with a four, from 35 balls. He also became the first captain to score 2000+ international runs in successive years.
India scored 39 runs in the last five overs. India still need another 236 runs.
Over 8 | 57/1 (Rohit Sharma 14; Virat Kohli 37)
After the fall of Shikhar Dhawan in the second over, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have steadied the Indian inning.
Wicket: Shikhar Dhawan b Oshane Thoms 4 (6); Fall Of Wicket: 10/1 (1.6 Over)
India still need another 266 runs from 42 overs.
West Indies Innings
Over 50 || Score 322/8 (Devendra Bishoo 22; Kemar Roach 26)
Devendra Bishoo and Kemar Roach added 44 runs for the ninth wicket to propell the Windies total to 322/8. Windies scored 68 runs in the last ten over.
Over 45 || Score 284/8 (Devendra Bishoo 11; Kemar Roach 3)
Windies added another 30 runs in the last five overs losing one wicket, that of skipper Jason Holder, bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal.
Wicket: Jason Holder b Yuzvendra Chahal 38(42); Fall Of Wicket: 278/8 (43.2 Over)
Over 40 || Score 254/7 (Jason Holder 22; Devendra Bishoo 1)
Shimron Hetmyer departed soon after reachin his third ODI hundred. He failed to make the most out of a loose delivery from Ravindra Jadeja, with the ball going down the leg-side, and ended up top-edging.
Wicket: Shimron Hetmyer c Rishabh Pant b Ravindra Jadeja 106(78); Fall Of Wicket: 248/6 (38.4 Over)
Five balls later, in the 40th over, Yuzvendra Chahal trapped Ashley Nurse in front.
Wicket: Ashley Nurse lbw b Yuzvendra Chahal 2(2); Fall Of Wicket: 252/7 (39.3)
Over 38 || Score 246/5 (Shimron Hetmyer 105; Jason Holder 18)
A brilliant hundred from Shimron Hetmyer. The 21-year-old Guyanese hit the fifth ball of 38th over over extra cover boundary for a six to bring up his third ton. Mohammed Shami leaked 13 runs in that over.
He and skipper Jason Holder have added 58 runs for the sixth wicket as Windies look for a big total. In the last five overs, Windies have scored 45 runs.
Over 31 || Score 190/5 (Shimron Hetmyer 67; Jason Holder 1)
In the last five overs, Windies have added 33 runs with Shimron Hetmyer leading the charge. In the process, he also reached second ODI fifty.
But Ravindra Jadeja removed Rovman Powell, LBW, in the 31st over to break a 74-run fifth-wicket stand.
Wicket: Rovman Powell b Ravindra Jadeja 22(23); Fall Of Wicket: 188/5 (30.3 Over)
That brought Windies skipper Jason Holder in the centre.
Over 26 || Score 155/4 (Shimron Hetmyer 47; Rovman Powell 12)
Shimron Hetmyer hit a four and six off successive deliveries to take 17 runs from the 24th over. Just before that he reached 500 ODI runs in his 13th inning, joint fastest for Windies.
Over 22 || Score 118/4 (Shimron Hetmyer 22; Rovman Powell 0)
Mohammed Shami dismissed Shai Hope. MS Dhoni covered some ground to complete the catch behind the wicket. Second wicket for Shami.
Wicket: Shai Hope c MS Dhoni b Mohammed Shami 32(51); Fall Of Wicket: 114/4 (21.4 Over)
Rovman Powell joined Hetmyer.
Over 16 || Score 86/3 (Shai Hope 23; Shimron Hetmyer 0)
Two wickets for India in quick time, removing Kieran Powell and Marlon Samuels.
Samuels gone for a duck in his 200th ODI. Yuzvendra Chahal trapped him in front.
Wicket: Marlon Samuels lbw b Yuzvendra Chahal 0(2); Fall Of Wicket 2-84 (14.5 Over)
In the previous over, Khaleel Ahmed dismissed Kieran Powell, caught at long-on by Shikhar Dhawan.
Wicket: Kieran Powell c Shikhar Dhawan b Khaleel Ahmed 51(39); Fall Of Wicket: 3-86 (15.3 Over)
Over 5 || Score 23/1 (K Powell 11; Shai Hope 3)
Mohammed Shami removed Chandrapaul Hemraj, bowled. Lucky for India. The Windies opener dragged in while trying to play a pull shot.
Wicket: Chandrapaul Hemraj b Mohammed Shami 9(15); Fall of wicket: 19/1 (4.3 overs)
Shai Hope joined Powell in the centre. Five runs from the over.
Over 3 || Score 13/0 (K Powell 4; Hemraj 9)
Mohammed Shami bowled the first over to Kieran Powell. Four through cover off the first ball. Shami did well to finish the over with only four runs.
Umesh Yadav shared the new ball. Only a single from the second over. Then, in the following over, debutant Chandrapaul Hemraj hit back-to-back fours off the last two deliveries. Eight runs from Shami's second over.
Rishabh Pant gets his ODI cap from MS Dhoni.
For the Windies, Oshane Thomas and Chanderpaul Hemraj make debuts.
Read full preview HERE.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(wk), Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, K Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal
West Indies: Kieran Powell, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Marlon Samuels, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder(c), Ashley Nurse, Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas
Follow live updates from the first ODI match between India and West Indies, being played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.
