Continuing from where he had left off in the Asia Cup, India opener Rohit Sharma scored a sensational unbeaten century in the first ODI against Windies to take India home.
India had their task cut out when Windies innings came to an end. Riding on a stunning century from Shimron Hetmyer and a fifty from Kieran Powell, the visitors had scored a massive 322 for 8. Chasing 300-plus total is never an easy task let alone doing it under the lights. India’s task became only tougher when they lost in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan for just 4.
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However, Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli came up with stunning knocks to fire India to a thumping eight-wicket win. Once both the players joined hands in the middle, there was absolutely no stopping them. Kohli looked in his elements right from the word go while Rohit played the role of second fiddle to perfection.
India crossed the 50-run mark in just the 8th over while Kohli reached his fifty off just 36 balls. Rohit, on the other hand, reached his fifty off 51 balls. The right-hander shifted gears after surpassing the fifty run-mark while Kohli continued to bat in the same manner. Consequently, he reached his century off 88 balls. Rohit joined the century club too.
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West Indies finally managed a breakthrough when Devendra Bishoo dismissed Kohli for 140 to end the mammoth 246-run stand.
But unlike Kohli, Rohit remained till the end and remained unbeaten on 152. In doing so, he notched up his sixth score of more than 150 in ODIs. He went past Sachin Tendulkar and David Warner, who have five such scores. Rohit also has three ODI double centuries to his name while no other player has registered even two.
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Rohit’s knock was studded with eight sixes. That was the 4th time he hit eight or more sixes in an ODI game. Only Chris Gayle (5) has hit 8+ sixes in an ODI inning more often than Rohit. Among Indians, only MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan hit 8+ sixes in an ODI inning and they have done it once each.