New Chandigarh: KL Rahul’s career-best score of 129 not out off 87 balls, along with fifties from ex-captain Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad, powered India to 351/7 in the third and final ODI against the West Indies at the new PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on Saturday.
It was a strong recovery for India after Jayden Seales had reduced the hosts to 4/2 inside three overs. From there, Rohit took time before bringing out belligerent shots to hit 92 off 85 balls, laced with ten fours and three sixes. He also shared a 137-run partnership with Gaikwad, who was fluent in hitting 57 off 69 balls studded with a four and four sixes.
After the duo fell, Rahul, batting for the first time this series, put on a fine masterclass in middle-order batting by slamming a magnificent century laced with ten fours and six maximums, as he took India past the 350-run mark, something which will really challenge the West Indies.
For the visitors, Seales finished with 3-62, while Keemo Paul took 2-71 and Gudakesh Motie had 1-67, though they will be hugely disappointed with six catches split – four of Gaikwad and two of Rahul. After the West Indies were put into bowling first, Seales struck in the second over by getting Shubman Gill, who had made a hundred and a double hundred in the first two games, caught down the leg side for one.
Virat Kohli walked in and was beaten on the flick by Seales as the delivery held its line to uproot the middle stump and send him back for a duck. Rohit and Gaikwad steadied things, and it was slow going at first.
Rohit survived an LBW shout and a West Indies review that showed the ball missing the stumps. India finished the Powerplay on 28/2, among their lowest totals in recent years.
Rohit then turned the tempo in the post-first-ten-overs phase by targeting Paul and Alzarri Joseph for boundaries. In the process, he also became the quickest to 10,000 ODI runs as an opener by getting there in 202 innings.
Gaikwad made the most of the four reprieves by hitting sixes over mid-wicket and reached his fifty in the 27th over. Rohit got to his own half-century off 58 balls, and the pair brought up the hundred stand when he slog-swept Vitel Lawes for six. Lawes had a miserable day by conceding 54 runs in five overs and later limped off with a left calf problem.
Rohit missed out on a hundred by eight runs when he top-edged a pull off Paul to Jewel Andrew, who held a good diving catch at deep mid-wicket. Seales then removed Gaikwad when the ball bounced more than he expected and lobbed a catch to backward point.
At 160/4, the game was finely poised, and Rahul ensured India surged ahead. He picked singles and was patient, even as Naman Dhir got his first international cricket boundaries off Seales and then pulled Joseph and Motie for six each.
After Dhir chipped to cover off Motie for 30 off 21 balls and ended his 65-run stand with Rahul, the wicketkeeper-batter had reached his fifty off 41 balls by then.
Nitish Kumar Reddy struggled for fluency and soon nicked behind off Paul to fall for nine. Debutant Anshul Kamboj lit up the closing stages with two sixes in a single over off Motie, before his 17 off nine balls ended in a run-out after a mix-up with Rahul.
Helped by Kamboj and Gurnoor giving strike consistently to Rahul, he was able to take charge in the closing overs — a short ball on leg stump from Seales in the 49th over was helped over fine leg to get his ninth ODI hundred, off 80 balls. He pulled off his helmet, spread his arms wide and was hugged by Brar at mid-pitch.
It was also the ninth individual century of the series, the most in any three-match ODI series. After Rahul lofted Seales down the ground for six, Paul then offered two full tosses that were sent over the leg side for maximums, and Rahul closed the innings with a heave through mid-wicket for two, as India piled up 105 runs in the last 60 balls.
Brief scores:
India 351/7 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 129 not out, Rohit Sharma 92; Jayden Seales 3-62, Keemo Paul 2-71) against West Indies
(IANS)
