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Rahul smacks century in India v Windies ODI / Photo: © AFP
Rahul smacks century in India v Windies ODI
Opening batter Rohit Sharma steadied a listing ship before KL Rahul provided the exhilarating final kick with a ninth century to help India post a mammoth 351-7 in the final One-Day International against West Indies on Saturday.
After Rohit had rescued India from the depths of 4-2 in New Chandigarh, Rahul tore into the bowling, fusing power with finesse to register his highest ODI total.
Having already taken a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series, India lost skipper Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the space of two legal deliveries from pacer Jayden Seales.
Rohit, cautious when Seales and Matthew Forde extracted appreciable bounce and lateral movement, opened up after the power play in the company of Ruturaj Gaikwad during a third-wicket stand worth 137.
Rohit fell eight short of a third ODI hundred in four innings while Gaikwad, dropped twice on 5 and once each on 9 and 34, finally ran out of luck when he provided Seales with his third success of the afternoon.
At 160 for four with more than 21 overs remaining, India needed another partnership of substance to take them to respectability.
Rahul found an able ally in Naman Dhir, who slammed three fours and two sixes in a breezy cameo before ceding centrestage to the Indian vice-captain. Put down on 70 and 74, Rahul made West Indies pay by breezing to three-figures in just 80 deliveries with an array of sparkling strokes.
M. Taylor--BTZ
