Mount 405 in scale: Rohit, Gill power India’s ODI record chase, seal series in Guwahati

Brief Scores: India (406/2 in 41.4 overs) beat West Indies (405/7) by 8 wickets in Guwahati.

If you were a bowler in Guwahati that night, it was probably the worst nightmare you can imagine. There was no end to India’s batting fireworks, with ODI captain Shubman Gill leading the charge with his second double hundred in the format while Rohit Sharma added a century as India chased down the record target to seal the series 2-0 with an 8-wicket win on Wednesday, September 30.

Since 2006, there has been no instance of a team winning after scoring a total of 400 or more. Yet, despite these daunting odds, Shubman Gill and his party made the chase remarkably simple. The skipper led from the front while Rohit Sharma once again showed that he has enough left in the tank for this format.

IND vs WI, 2nd ODI: Highlighting | Scorecard

THE ACCOMPLISHED WEST INDIES BATTERS SHOW

Before coming back to India’s opening pair, the West Indies batsmen deserve a lot of credit for the way they responded to their shortcomings in the first ODI. Their middle order struggled to carry the innings through the middle and lethal but there was a marked change in Guwahati.

John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo led the charge for India and, crucially, played their innings deep. Campbell set the tone with a 68-ball 101, smashing nine fours and five sixes, while Hope followed with 104 off 94 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes.

Jangoo then made a late surge, smashing 114 off just 77 balls with 13 fours and three sixes. Together, the trio guided the West Indies to their highest ever ODI total.

In India, the performance raised questions about how their bowlers can adapt when facing a flat batting surface like the one at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the attack and finished with 2 for 65.

(more to follow)

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