Maestro Virat Kohli and skipper Shubman Gill displayed their mastery in 50-over format with virtuoso hundreds as India subdued the West Indies by eight wickets in the first ODI at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
India now lead the three-match series 1-0, after Kohli (139 not out, 10×4, 9×6) and Gill (110, 107b) milked 150 runs for the second wicket to help the hosts scale down 296 in 41.4 overs, ending up at 300 for two.
West Indies too had a centurion in their ranks in Justin Greaves, but his maiden effort — 101 — is now destined to remain as an afterthought as it was already overshadowed by Kuldeep Yadav’s excellent four-wicket burst.
But even Greaves will not complain about that after remaining a reverent student
during India’s innings, watching a GOAT and another batter looking to attain that status working in tandem.
Here’s a quick look at the stats: Gill crunched his 10th ODI hundred and Kohli steamrolled Windies for his 55th ton, and 86th in international cricket.
Additionally, Kohli also became the second batter in history to register 15000 runs in one-dayers after Sachin Tendulkar.
All these are heady numbers but their batting on the day was even more so — in haste but not in hate.
After scoring 75 runs for the opening wicket with Rohit Sharma, Gill’s innings blossomed in the company of Kohli.
Gill exploited the reprieve he received on 11, when substitute Keemo Paul dropped him off Jayden Seales, to the hilt, first bringing a 50 off 49 balls and the next 50 in 47 balls.
In the interim, there were a litany of shots — a square cut and punch through the covers of Alzarri Joseph, a square cut off Seales and six and four combination off spinner Gudakesh Motie.
They were shots played with the subtle hands of a butterfly curator, and even the bowlers would not have felt the anguish.
Kohli, on the other hand, did what he has been doing all these years — running hard and then unfurling an array of dazzling shots, his blueprint while conducting ODI chases. Just that this time, he showed an increasing appetite for sixes.
The only false shot in his innings was a top-edged pull off Joseph that went for a six over the stumper’s head, and in one way it hinted that the day belonged to the ‘Master.’
Shots of the highest class flowed soon, and Joseph bore the brunt — three fours in a row and a later six down the ground to bring his half-century in 40 balls.
A tired-looking Gill departed when a slog sweep off Roston Chase was caught in the deep by Jewel Andrew.
But a certain 37-year-old made of iron will and sublime skills soon reached his own mark in just 74 balls as the Greenfield Stadium erupted like a live volcano, spewing chants of Kohli and howling of appreciation. The Delhi man fetched his three-figure mark with a thundering six over mid-wicket off Motie — a neat leap from 94 to even hundred.
But the holiday crowd was also fortunate to witness another class act — Kuldeep Yadav, who took four wickets (4/40) to stem the early run of Windies, and restrict them to 295 for seven.
His sorcery mitigated a maiden 50-over format hundred by Greaves.
Greaves and his opening partner John Campbell (62, 60b) added 135 runs in 19.2 overs as the West Indies appeared to have primed for a far bigger total.
But the left-arm spinner was too crafty and brainy on the day for the tourists.
After keeping Campbell guessing with two wide deliveries on the off-stump, Kuldeep fired one in fuller and the left-handed batter’s miscued sweep ended in Prasidh Krishna’s hands at mid-on.
It was a huge relief for India as Campbell, who hammered Ravindra Jadeja for a four and two sixes in his first over en route to a 49-ball fifty, was settling in for a bigger knock.
Kuldeep soon dealt a severe blow to the West Indies, dismissing Shai Hope.
The captain was deceived by the subtle change in line by Kuldeep, skying him to Jadeja near point.
Greaves and promising Andrew fell in successive balls to Kuldeep. The 31-year-old managed to sneak the ball under Greaves’s sweep and the DRS umpire upheld the bowlers’ shout for a leg before wicket.
Andrew did not have much idea about a googly on the middle and off stumps line, and playing forward had disastrous consequences.
Suddenly, the Windies found themselves shuddering at 198 for five from 176 for one.
It required Amir Jangoo (58 not out) to stitch alliances of 48 runs for the sixth wicket with Chase, and 38 runs for the seventh wicket with Matthew Ford, to get near 300.
Jangoo’s pulls were a treat to watch as pacer Prasidh felt the heat a couple of times.
The left-handed Jangoo reached 50 in just 38 balls with an astoundingly simple flick of his wrists six off Brar over the cow corner.
Before that, Greaves played some exquisite shots around, helping the West Indies score more than six runs an over in the first 20-over segment.
But with Kohli and Gill in such touch, the volume of target did not matter.
(With inputs from PTI)
