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PIX: Record-breaking Rohit powers India to T20I series win

November 06, 2018 22:53 IST

Rohit Sharma

IMAGE: Rohit Sharma, right, celebrates scoring a century during the second T20 International in Lucknow. Photograph: BCCI/Twitter

Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with a blistering century as India routed West Indies by 71 runs to seal the three-match T20I series 2-0 with one game to spare, in the second T20 International in Lucknow on Tuesday.

Rohit blasted an unbeaten 111 from 61 balls to power India to 195 for two in 20 overs after they were put into bat.

 

The third and final T20I will be played in Chennai on Sunday, November 11.

The West Indies never got going with the bat as they finished on a disappointing 124 for nine in their 20 overs with Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed picking up two wickets each.

IMAGE: Rohit Sharma, right, laid the foundation for India's huge score with a quickfire 123-run opening stand. Photograph: BCCI/Twitter

Earlier, it was a batting masterclass from Rohit as he slammed an unbeaten 111 off 61 balls, entertaining the packed gathering at the at the newly-built Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium, which made it's international debut.

Rohit achieved twin milestones, first by surpassing regular captain Virat Kohli to become India's highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals followed by most number of centuries in shortest format.

Rohit hit an unbeaten 111 off 61 balls to complete his fourth ton in T20 Internationals. When he reached a personal score of 11, he surpassed Kohli's India record of 2101 runs.

Captain Rohit Sharma smashed a record fourth century in T20 Internationals to power India to a commanding 195 for two in their 20 overs.

Rohit Sharma

IMAGE: Rohit Sharma hits out during the second T20 International in Lucknow. Photograph: BCCI/Twitter

It was a batting masterclass from Rohit as he slammed an unbeaten 111 off 61 balls, entertaining the packed gathering at the at the newly-built Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium, which made it's international debut.

The Indian captain now has highest number of hundreds in shortest format along with highest aggregate of runs surpassing regular skipper Virat Kohli.

Rohit was at his brutal best as he hit eight boundaries and seven towering sixes to propel India to the big score after being sent into bat.

Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan (43 off 41) made up for their rare failure in the first T20 in Kolkata on Sunday, putting on 123 runs off 84 balls for the opening wicket to lay the foundation for a big score.

The pitch curator predicted a low-scoring affair on an unpredictable surface but Rohit and Dhawan proved things wrong and looked completely at ease from the onset, stroking the ball to all parts of the big ground.

IMAGE: India's players celebrate a wicket. Photograph: PTI

Young pace sensation Oshane Thomas got West Indies off to a fine start with a maiden over. But the Indian openers finally broke the shackles in the fifth over when Rohit and Dhawan took Thomas to the cleaners in his third over, hitting a six and two boundaries, picking up 17 runs.

Dhawan got a lifeline as Keemo Paul dropped a simple catch at deep square leg in the ninth over off captain Carlos Braithwaite.

It eventually opened the flood gates for India as Rohit thereafter dealt mostly in boundaries and sixes to race to his fifty from just 38 balls.

Dhawan's luck finally ran out in the 14th over when he was caught by Nicholas Pooran at the long leg boundary off Fabian Allen as the batsman went for a slog sweep.

Rishabh Pant failed for the second consecutive time, holing out to Shimron Hetmyer at midwicket boundary off left-arm spiner Khary Pierre.

Rohit and KL Rahul then shared quickfire 62 runs for the third wicket off just 28 balls to take India to a massive total.

Rohit brought up his century with a boundary in the final as he scooped a full toss from Brathwaite over the fine leg fielder for a four, reaching the landmark from only 58 balls -- with his second fifty coming from just 20 balls.

IMAGE: Khaleel Ahmed, centre, celebrates with team-mates after picking up a wicket. Photograph: BCCI/Twitter

Needing a win to stay alive in the three-match series after the five-wicket loss at Kolkata, West Indies got off to the worst possible start, losing two wickets -- Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer early on with young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed accounting for both the batsmen.

While Hope was cleaned up by Khaleel in the second over, Hetmyer was caught by Dhawan at long-on in the pacer's third over.

Introduced into the attack in the eight over, chinaman Kuldeep Yadav continued with his magic and struck twice in his first over to derail West Indies' chase.

Kuldeep first induced an edge of Darren Bravo with Rohit taking a sharp catch at slip before Nicholas Pooran failed to read the googly and was bowled as West Indies slumped to 52 for four in eight overs.

It became bad to worse for the visitors when Kieran Pollard was caught off his own bowling by Jasprit Bumrah.

From there on, it was just a matter of time before India wrapped up the game with considerable ease.

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