Match Overview:

First Innings:

             Shreyas Iyer played a very fine knock once again. Image: BCCI

There was a momentary scare as West Indies won the toss and asked India to bat first once again. The Indian batting unit faltered and struggled to put up a strong enough total in the first ODI encounter between the two sides. However, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul seemed to be in their groove from the word go. Rohit started his innings slow and let Rahul take the charge but once the Mumbaikar batsman got to his half-century, he had no qualms putting his foot on the gas and getting to his century after surviving a scare when Shimron Hetmyer dropped him at 70.

    Rohit and KL Rahul both scored majestic 100s in Vizag. Image: BCCI

KL Rahul provided able support from the other as they both stitched a neat double century opening partnership. Rahul fell soon after reaching his century and Kohli, who arrived in the 38^th over could last only for a single delivery as he was deceived by Pollard’s slower ball.

Rohit looked very comfortable meanwhile and took his tally to 159 in just 138 balls. His innings included 17 fours and 5 sixes. Once he got dismissed, the onus fell on Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant and they performed their middle-order roles extremely well, expediting the run rate. Iyer got to his half-century (he finished with 53) in just 32 deliveries and while the Indian wicket-keeper Pant couldn’t get to a half-century, his innings of 39 runs came at a blistering run rate of 243.75 which made sure India finished with a hefty 387 runs on board.

Second Innings:

             The bowling unit seized the initiative in Vizag. Image: BCCI

Evin Lewis and Shai Hope provided strong impetus for the chase in the first ten overs of the game but Shardul Thakur got the first breakthrough in the tenth over. Since that breakthrough, the Windies batting seemed inconsistent until Nicholas Pooran arrived at the crease. Mohammad Shami took care of Pooran and went on to get a three-wicket haul while chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav picked up his second hattrick in one-day international cricket as he sent Hope, Jason Holder, and Alzarri Joseph back to the pavilion in three deliveries.

In the end, India sealed the match with relative ease as West Indies batsmen kept falling recklessly in order to negotiate with the ever-climbing required runs per over. 

Player of the Match:

Rohit Sharma:

The vice-captain of the Indian national team was back to his very best as he got a magnificent ton on his 200^th ODI. He timed his innings brilliantly as he looked slow to begin since the ball took time coming on to the bat, but once he hit his zone, he never looked out of shade except for that one reckless shot that was lofted in the air but fortunately, Hetmyer couldn’t grab despite his desperate dive.

After Kohli’s departure, Rohit dealt with the Windies bowling mercilessly hitting them all over the park as he took only 25 balls to get to 150 from 100 after needing 107 balls to get to his ton. 

Kuldeep Yadav became the first Indian to take 2 international ODI hat-tricks.                                                                       Image: BCCI

Stat attack:

1. Kuldeep Yadav bagged his second ODI hat-trick, becoming the first Indian to do so.

2. Hitman Rohit Sharma got to his 28^th ODI century, the innings at Vishakhapatnam being his 7^th ODI ton in 2019 alone.

3. KL Rahul got to his 3^rd ODI ton today.

What’s next for Team India?

The Men In blue will now face the West Indies side in Cuttack for the third and final ODI and the series decider.