The world’s best run-chaser and arguably the best opening batsman in ODI cricket currently were at it again in Guwahati against West Indies. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma put together yet another 200-run partnership in ODIs — their fifth — to help India record a comfortable win in the first ODI of the five-match series. The partnership of 246 was dominated by Kohli initially before Rohit started coming into his own and left the Windies bowlers in a state of shock.
The centurion for West Indies, Shimron Hetmeyer, thought his team had a defendable score after getting to 322 in their allotted fifty overs. But he couldn’t have been further from the truth, given the form Rohit is in and given Kohli’s ridiculous success while chasing in white-ball cricket.
After losing Shikhar Dhawan’s wicket early, the two started picking the West Indies bowling apart. The Indian captain, who has gone on record saying he enjoys playing second fiddle to Rohit when they bat together, took the initiative on Sunday in Guwahati and raced ahead to his fifty and was in his 80s when Rohit started upping the ante.
And soon enough, mayhem followed at the Barasapra Stadium with both batsmen going hammer and tongs. First Kohli reached his 36th ODI ton, followed by Rohit getting to his 20th. He finished off with 152*, becoming the first batsman to score 150-plus six times in ODIs.
During their knocks, the two broke plenty of records.
While Rohit Sharma’s innings was typical, Kohli played an innings where he dominated from the word go. Not something we see too often in ODIs. And his innings set Twitter abuzz.
The partnership also drew plenty of praise with Rohit’s effortless ease coming in for plenty of praise as well.
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