223 from 133 balls. 26 fours and 8 sixes. Fastest double hundred in ODIs, bettering Ishan Kishan’s feat in 126 balls against Bangladesh in 2022, Chattogram. Such was the assault, that India chased down a mammoth target of 406 with 39 balls to spare!
First up, let’s offer heartfelt condolences to bowlers from both, India and West Indies in the second ODI in Guwahati. So heavily was it loaded in favour of the batters that coaches from both sides felt for their bowlers. 811 runs scored in 93.3 overs. Total carnage.
On a Guwahati outfield which usually sees heavy dew, the Indian captain Shubman Gill had no hesitation in bowling first. In a pretty inexperienced bowling lineup, The Prince saw his bowlers being hammered to all parts, conceding more than 400 in an innings for the third time in ODIs, and for the first time in 11 years. As many as three centuries were recorded by West Indies, reaching 400 for the first time in their ODI history.
However, this turned out to be just a small achievement. India replied with a devastating hammering of their own, gunning the total down at an eventual run rate of 9.33, with 92/0 at the end of Powerplay 1 setting the tone. It was Rohit Sharma who set things alight, taking the Windies bowlers on, but very quickly, skipper Gill followed.
Gill took 38 balls to reach his 50 – 62 to his century – 89 for his 150 and 117 for his 200. Meaning, from 50-200, he took just 79 balls! It was the fastest 150 by an Indian in ODIs and also the fastest double ton overall.
Gill eventually finished on an unbeaten 223, the highest by a captain and the third highest overall. Additionally, it is also the highest individual score in a run chase in List-A cricket. The Indian skipper also became only the second batter after Rohit Sharma to have multiple double tons in ODIs, bettering his 208 against New Zealand in Hyderabad, 2023.
It was a run fest by no small means. As many as 5 batters reached the triple-digit mark, making it the first occasion in ODIs. India now have 9 totals of 400 or more in ODIs – best by any team – bettering South Africa’s 8. Not surprisingly, it is their highest successful run chase ever as well.
As many as 811 runs were aggregated – making it stand third in the list of highest match aggregates in ODIs. Rohit Sharma managed a small name for himself in this Gill saga – becoming the second fastest after Virat Kohli to reach the 12,000-run mark in ODIs. The crowd was thrilled to bits as Gill and Rohit are now only the second Indian pair after Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly with multiple 200-plus opening stands.
Spare a thought for West Indies. On a day they reached their highest ODI total, they also became the first team to lose an ODI after three batters scored centuries. On a day where all the bowlers went around the park, Kuldeep Yadav stood out with bowling figures of 10-0-65-2. Let’s hope that the third ODI in New Chandigarh provides balance between bat and ball.
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