The India vs West Indies 1st ODI never really turned into a contest once Virat Kohli got going. Chasing 296 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, India won by eight wickets with 50 balls left, thanks to an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls from Kohli and 110 from captain Shubman Gill. India now lead the three match series 1-0.
It was a long way from how the afternoon began. West Indies openers John Campbell and Justin Greaves put on 135 for the first wicket after India chose to bowl, and at one stage the visitors were cruising at 176 for 1.
Justin Greaves hundred, then a Kuldeep Yadav squeeze
Greaves made 101 off 108 balls with 12 fours, his first ODI century, while Campbell hit 62 off 60. Then Kuldeep Yadav changed the afternoon. The left arm wrist spinner removed Campbell, Shai Hope, Greaves (lbw, upheld on review) and Jewel Andrew for a golden duck, finishing with 4 for 40 from his ten overs. West Indies slid from 195 for 2 to 198 for 5 in the space of 11 balls.
Amir Jangoo rescued the total with 58 not out off 43 balls, and Roston Chase added 24, pushing West Indies to 295 for 7. Prasidh Krishna took 2 for 60.
Kohli and Gill take the India vs West Indies chase apart
Rohit Sharma hit three sixes in a quick 32 before Alzarri Joseph had him caught at 74 for 1 in the 12th over. After that, Gill and Kohli added 151 for the second wicket and the required rate never became a worry.
Gill reached his hundred off 96 balls and fell for 110 (13 fours, one six), caught off Chase. Kohli simply kept going. His fifty came off 40 balls and the hundred off 74, and he finished on 139 not out with 10 fours and 9 sixes, the most sixes he has ever hit in a single ODI innings. Ruturaj Gaikwad (13 not out) was with him when India reached 300 for 2 in the 42nd over.
Kohli’s milestones
- He became only the second man to reach 15,000 ODI runs.
- It was his 86th international century.
- It was his 25th hundred in a successful ODI chase.
Alzarri Joseph went for 81 in his nine overs, the most expensive spell of the night, while Naman Dhir made his ODI debut for India.
When is the 2nd ODI?
The second match of the series is in Guwahati on Wednesday, September 30, starting at 2pm IST (8:30am GMT). The third ODI follows in New Chandigarh on Saturday, October 3, also at 2pm IST, before the teams switch to T20Is in Lucknow on Tuesday, October 6 at 7pm IST.
