Mumbai: Young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed (3/13) bowled superbly after Rohit Sharma (162, 137b, 20×4, 4×6) and Ambati Rayudu (100, 81b, 8×4, 4×6) made merry of the pitch with scintillating centuries as India outplayed West Indies in all departments to script an emphatic 224-run win the fourth ODI at the Brabourne Stadium here, Monday.
Chasing a mammoth 378-run target, Windies started off well with Chandrapaul Hemraj (14) playing a couple of aggressive strokes. However, the fifth over from India, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/30), turned the game into India’s favour as the pacer dismissed Hemraj before in-form Shai Hope was run out off a Kuldeep Yadav direct throw.
Kieron Powell too was run-out the next over following a misunderstanding with Marlon Samuels (18) as Virat Kohli hit the stumps with a diving throw as the visitors were reduced to 20/3 inside five overs.
Shimron Hetmyer (13) and Samuels tried to resurrect their innings before Khaleel came and struck thrice – one each in three successive overs, as WI were reduced to 56/6 inside 14 overs. With wickets tumbling at regular intervals, WI skipper Jason Holder (54 n o, 70b, 1×4, 2×6) tried to give the score some respectability before Kuldeep (3/42) finished off the tail to bowl Windies out for 153 in 36.2 overs.
Earlier, Rohit and Rayudu struck belligerent centuries to guide India to a mammoth 377 for five. Rohit and Rayudu took centre stage after a rare failure by skipper Kohli to power India to the imposing total.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, India made a quick start with Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan (38, 40b, 4×4, 2×6) adding a run-a-ball 71 for the opening stand before the latter pulled a Keemo Paul (1/88) short delivery straight to Kieran Powell at the midwicket boundary.
Kohli, who hit three consecutive tons before Monday’s match, played aggressively before edging a Kemar Roach (2/74) delivery to Shai Hope behind the stumps with India reduced to 101 for two.
Thereafter, Rohit and Rayudu held fort and continued to play aggressive brand of cricket. The duo continued the onslaught and made the West Indies attack look ordinary, sharing a breezy 211-run stand for the third wicket which came off just 163 deliveries to lay the foundation for the big score.
Rohit didn’t spare a single West Indian bowler and made his intentions clear when he opened the account with a boundary over point.
Rayadu, on the other hand, took time to settle down, but later hammered the bowlers with his exquisite stroke-play — first in Rohit’s company and then alongside veteran MS Dhoni (23). Kedar Jadhav (16 n o) and Ravindra Jadeja (7 n o) remained unbeaten as the hosts amassed 116 runs in the last 10 overs.
