India vs West Indies: The West Indies’ openers had got off to a start that gave the impression that the going would be quite tough for Shubman Gill and his teammates in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
However, Kuldeep Yadav (4/40)’s guile kept pushing the Windies back before a dominant showing from skipper Gill and Virat Kohli made the task ridiculously easy for India. Together, centurions Gill and Kohli tormented the Windies bowling attack in the course of their match-winning 151-run stand in just 22 overs as India chased down the 296-run target with as many as 50 balls remaining.
India vs West Indies: Virat Kohli even went past 15,000 ODI runs
Virat Kohli even went past 15,000 ODI runs, being only the second after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve the landmark, and he had to break little sweat for that. The former India captain hit a six each to reach his fifty and 55th hundred in the format, and also wrapped up the game with back-to-back maximums.
Virat Kohli also hit the most number of sixes (nine) he has ever hit in an ODI innings. For sure, he’s warming up well for next year’s ODI World Cup, which is also set to be his last.
“My focus has never been on these milestones. It has been about focusing on situations and doing the job for my team,” Kohli said later. “Obviously, I feel very grateful and blessed for having played so long. But it’s mainly about keeping my head down and staying mentally fresh, as the game is in the mind.”
On a surface where the ball seemed to grip a little initially before it became even easier to bat on under lights, Kuldeep’s spell and the Windies’ under-par finishing limited them to 295/7, when at least 330 looked gettable after John Campbell and centurion Justin Greaves forged 135 in just 19 overs upfront.
Thereafter, following Rohit Sharma’s dismissal that came much against the run of play, Gill and Kohli made merry against a poor bowling effort from the Windies, who were also hampered by the leg injury to all-rounder Greaves, who couldn’t take the field during the run chase. Dew, too, became a factor, piling on the difficulties on the visitors, whose spinners were rendered ineffective.
On top of that, the Windies let Gill off when he had scored only 11. Substitute fielder Keemo Paul shelled a relatively straightforward chance at the point region off seamer Jayden Seales’ delivery. And Gill ensured he made the Windies pay for that gross error dearly, bringing up his 10th ODI ton.
Barring that fortunate moment when he was given the reprieve, Gill was quick to judge the length and took full toll of anything that was ill-directed from the Windies quicks and spinners. At the other end, playing with a lot more freedom these days as he has just one format to deal with, it appeared like a walk in the park for Kohli.
Much to one’s surprise, the Windies bowlers barely bowled anything outside off-stump to Kohli, which could have tested him. Instead, Alzarri Joseph, who had dismissed Rohit, kept feeding Kohli with short and over-pitched stuff, which the latter happily put away. Surprisingly, Seales wasn’t even given a single over when Kohli was new at the crease.
To talk of the Windies spinners, Roston Chase, with his off-break, and left-armer Gudakesh Motie were just as toothless, either conceding easy ones to Gill and Kohli or dishing out a customary loose delivery after one or two dot balls. Precisely, for both centurions, it was like batting at nets after they had crossed fifty.
Of course, the ODIs in New Zealand should go on to be a far bigger test for the Indian top order, but runs in these matches should keep the top three in pretty good mindset.
