A host of records fell on Wednesday as India recorded a comprehensive 107-run win over West Indies in the second ODI at Vizag.
The hosts put up an imposing total of 387/5, with a monumental opening partnership of 227 between KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma getting them there. Rohit’s 159 saw him rack up his seventh ODI century this year; only Sachin Tendulkar has hit more in a calendar year, leading the way with nine in 1998. The century also took Rohit’s international tally of tons this year to 10.
Rahul was the first wicket to fall, dismissed by Alzarri Joseph shortly after reaching his third ODI century. Captain Virat Kohli endured a rare failure, falling to Kieron Pollard for a golden duck, but Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant were able to put on quite the show after Rohit departed.
Pant’s 39 came from just 16 balls, while Iyer hit four sixes from Roston Chase’s fifth over, with the off-spinner deposited for 31 runs in total from that set of six. Although Pant was dismissed the next over, the pair’s partnership of 73 took up just 24 balls. The damage was severe; Jason Holder was the only bowler to go at under a run a ball in the innings.
Evin Lewis and Shai Hope safely took West Indies through the first 10 overs of the chase before Shardul Thakur made the opening breakthrough, removing Lewis for 30.
Shimron Hetmyer and Chase departed in quick succession, but some hope was sparked by a 106-run partnership between Nicolas Pooran and Hope. However, Mohammed Shami intervened with two wickets in two balls to put West Indies in further bother.
Shami wasn’t able to nab his second hat-trick of the year, but Kuldeep Yadav was in the mood. The wrist-spinner dismissed Hope, Holder and Joseph in consecutive deliveries.
Keemo Paul offered some resistance with a 42-ball 46, but his wicket brought an end to a thumping victory.
Captains' golden ducks unprecedented in ODI history
The second ODI between India and the West Indies saw 667 runs being scored between the two sides in what was an exhibition of batsmanship.
K.L. Rahul and Rohit Sharma slammed centuries for India in a 227-run opening stand while Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer put up a fiery stand of 73 off just 25 balls.
India scored 387/5 and while the West Indies fell 107 runs short of the target, they too had a good opening stand between Evin Lewis and Shai Hope. Later, Hope held up one end as Nicholas Pooran launched an assault on the Indian bowlers to briefly tip the scales in the visitors' favour.
However, the match also saw a first-ever instance of captains of both sides being dismissed for golden ducks. India captain Virat Kohli, who is among the highest run scorers in ODIs in 2019, was dismissed for a rare first ball duck when he replaced centurion Rahul. He fell to his West Indies counterpart Kieron Pollard, who bowled only two overs in the Indian innings.
Later, Pollard himself fell for a first-ball duck, edging Mohammed Shami to Pant behind the stumps. This is the first time in an ODI that captains of both sides were dismissed for a first-ball duck.
Pollard was Shami's second wicket after the latter had removed the dangerous Pooran in the previous delivery to swing the match back in India's favour.
While he could not complete his hat-trick, Kuldeep Yadav did so a few overs later, dismissing Hope, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph off consecutive deliveries. Yadav thus became the first Indian bowler to take two hat-tricks at the international level.