Sehwag hits record 219 as India thrash West Indies

Sehwag broke compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI mark of 200 not out against South Africa at Gwalior last year to help register a team score of 418 for five in 50 overs, India’s highest ever in one-dayers.

In reply, West Indies were all out for 265 in 49.2 overs, with a valiant run-a-ball 96 by Denesh Ramdin. Spinners Rahul Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets apiece.

Sehwag accumulated an astounding 142 runs from boundaries, smashing 25 fours and seven sixes in 149 balls to help seal the five-game series 3-1.

Sehwag’s 15th ODI century was his first as captain and beat his previous best of 175 against Bangladesh at the 2011 World Cup. The Delhi batsman enabled his team to better their previous best of 414 for seven against Sri Lanka at Rajkot in 2009 and also register the joint-fourth highest ever in ODIs.

“I was cheering for Sachin when he got his double-hundred and it’s great to break his record,” Sehwag said. “The last time I played 47 overs, I got 175. This time I got 200.”

The hard-hitting Sehwag reached his first century in only 69 balls with a four through point off paceman Kieron Pollard and broke the world mark with a similar shot, cracking a four through point off Andre Russell, to move from 197 to 201 to beat Tendulkar’s record.

But unlike Tendulkar, who reached the 200-run mark in the last over of the innings, Sehwag got there in only the 44th over, triggering celebrations in the packed 30,000-capacity Holkar Cricket Stadium.

The 33-year-old Sehwag pumped his fist in joy and raised his hands as he was first hugged by batting partner Rohit Sharma and then congratulated by the West Indian players. “I had told my opening partner Gautam Gambhir that if we can show some patience on this track we will be in for a big one,” Sehwag said. “It was only after the batting powerplay started, I felt that I could reach a double-hundred.”

Sehwag showed his trademark aerial shots early on, hitting an “upper-cut” six over third man off pace bowler Kemar Roach and then welcoming Sunil Narine into the attack with a six over long-on from the off-spinner’s first ball. He hammered Narine for another six over long-on later in the innings, while also hitting three sixes off Russell and one off captain Darren Sammy.

Sehwag, who captained India in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, survived a few run-out chances and was dropped on 170 by Sammy off paceman Ravi Rampaul before he was eventually out in the 47th over when he miscued a shot and was caught on the long-off boundary.

In the West Indies’ innings, opener Lendl Simmons showed some early promise in a 35-ball knock of 36 before the Indian spinners took control.

Debutant Sharma dismissed a well-set Marlon Samuels (33) as the batsman played on. The leg-spinner also bowled Danza Hyatt (11) and Kieron Pollard (3) as West Indies were reduced to 100 for five in the 16th over. Ramdin struck 12 fours but could only manage to prolong the innings before he was caught in the deep in sight of a century.