Superstar roars back into form with 20th ODI century as India win fourth by 59 runs to take curtailed series 2-1
Virat Kohli silenced the Doubting Thomases with his 20th century in ODI cricket as India beat the West Indies by 59 runs to win the fourth ODI in Dharamsala on Friday. Victory gave India the series 2-1 after the visitors announced their decision to return home because of a payment dispute with their board and players' association.
Kohli (127, 114 balls, 13x3, 3x6) was involved in a 138-run stand with Suresh Raina, who continued his rich vein of form with a breezy 71 (58 balls, 3x5, 5x6) as India posted a formidable 330/6 at the HPCA Stadium.
In response, Marlon Samuels scored a scintillating 112 (106 balls, 9x4, 6x6) but failed to find support from his teammates as the West Indies were bowled out for 271 in 48.1 overs. Five of the six bowlers employed by MS Dhoni picked up two wickets each, with debutant left-arm spinner Axar Patel standing out with figures of 10-1-26-2.
Earlier, opener Ajinkya Rahane (68, 79 balls, 7x4) made batting look easy on a pitch that was expected to favour the fast bowlers. It was Kohli's first hundred since February, following which he experienced the first lean patch of his career.
The West Indies pace attack was decent but the players put up a lacklustre effort on the field after captain Dwayne Bravo decided to field.
It would anyway have been too much to expect from a team which was hell bent on packing up its bags. The unwanted news of a pullout had not reached the spectators, who cheered vociferously for every run scored by the Indians.
Shikhar Dhawan (38) and Rahane laid the foundation for a big score with a 70-run stand. The West Indies players didn't show 100 per cent commitment and the hosts took full advantage of that.
Kohli and Rahane got together after Dhawan was caught in the deep while attempting one pull shot too many. The duo added 72 runs to the score before Rahane was adjudged leg-before off left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn (1/30).
Kohli, who showed glimpses of his brilliance during his fighting 62 in the last ODI in New Delhi, batted much more fluently on Friday. He treated the fans to his trademark shots, from blazing square cuts, wristy flicks to smashing pacers for sixes on front foot.
He took a particular liking to speedster Jerome Taylor, spanking him for two maximums on either side of the sightscreen. Overall, Kohli hammered 13 fours to go with his three sixes off Taylor, the last one sending the ball out of the park. Funnily enough, he reached his hundred with an overthrow and was run out off the last ball of the innings.
—With PTI inputs
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