VISAKHAPATNAM: Virat Kohli smashed a robust 117 to power India to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in the second one-day international on Friday despite Ravi Rampaul’s record tail-end knock.
Rampaul cracked 86 not out, the highest score by a number 10 batsman in one-dayers, to help the tourists post a challenging 269-9 in the day-night match in Visakhapatnam.
India were struggling at 84-3 before passing their opponents’ total with 11 balls to spare for a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, with Kohli hitting 14 fours in a 123-ball knock for his eighth one-day hundred.
Kohli received valuable support from Rohit Sharma, who scored a solid 90 not out for a second successive half-century. The pair put on 163 for the fourth wicket to shape India’s 11th successive one-day win at home.
The West Indies were in deep trouble at 63-5 after being put in to bat in overcast conditions, but Rampaul and opener Lendl Simmons (78) helped their team set a stiff target.
The previous highest score by a number 10 batsman in one-dayers was an unbeaten 73 by Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in 2009.
Rampaul gave a superb display of power-hitting during his 66-ball innings, as he bludgeoned six sixes and as many fours and put on 99 with Kemar Roach (24 not out), the third-highest stand for the last wicket in one-dayers.
The West Indies were 149-8 in the 31st over before adding 120 runs for their last two wickets to frustrate India.
Rampaul, a left-handed batsman and right-arm paceman, and Roach returned to trouble India with the ball as they removed Gautam Gambhir and Parthiv Patel to reduce the hosts to 29-2 before rain stopped play for nearly 40 minutes.
Roach struck with his second delivery when he accounted for Patel, who was caught by skipper Darren Sammy at second slip, while Gambhir fell to a superb one-handed catch by Adrian Barath in the covers off Rampaul.
Skipper Virender Sehwag was dropped twice during his 35-ball 26 before being caught by Andre Russell at long-off off part-time spinner Marlon Samuels, but Kohli and Sharma ensured the victory with a big stand.
Indian pacemen Umesh Yadav grabbed three wickets and Vinay Kumar two to do the early damage.
Simmons steadied the innings with a 56-run stand for the sixth wicket with Kieron Pollard (35), who was adjudged caught by wicket-keeper Patel off the gloves after smashing spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for two successive sixes.
Simmons was the ninth man to be dismissed, run out while coming for a second run after hitting one six and eight fours in his 10th half-century in one-day internationals.
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