India Abroad - December 16, 2011

SPORTS

Virender Sehwag hits highest
score ever in one-dayers ‘I thought God is with me’
Virender Sehwag, India's stand-in
captain, celebrates after getting
to 200 runs in the fourth one-day
international cricket match
against the West Indies in Indore,
Madhya Pradesh, December 8

Virender Sehwag created history December 8 by posting the highest individual score in a one day inter-
national cricket match, and also register-
ing only the second double century in the
50-over cricket format, in the fourth
ODI against the West Indies, in Indore.
The dashing Indian opener proved
unstoppable for the hapless Windies
bowlers as he stroked his way to a magi-
cal innings of 219 from a mere 149 balls,
slamming as many as 25 fours and seven
sixes.
Riding on Sehwag’s knock, India post-
ed a mammoth 418 for five in their 50
overs, their highest ever total in ODIs.
Sachin Tendulkar was the first bats-
man to get to a double hundred in ODIs,
when he scored 200 not out against
South Africa in Gwalior in February last
year.
Sehwag came into the match after a
run of poor scores in his last few games.
He had scored just one half-century in
his last 10 games.
He also has two triple centuries in Test
cricket to his credit, and is the only play-
er to score both a triple hundred in Test
cricket and a double hundred in ODIs.
The 33-year-old Delhi opener started
off aggressively, hitting the second ball
he faced, from Ravi Rampaul, for a
boundary through midwicket in the sec-
ond over of the match. Thereafter, it
rained boundaries and sixes at the
Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore,
Madhya Pradesh.
Sehwag brought up his half-century,
his first of the series, from 41 balls in sig-
nature style: A huge six over long-on.
The hundred also didn’t take long to
come as he brought up the milestone off
a mere 69 balls, the fastest century for
India against the West Indies.
The records kept tumbling, much to
the joys of the fans in Indore. The 150-
run mark came from 112 balls; he posted
the fastest 150 for India. The right-han-
der did not slow down despite closing in
on his double century; he took just 28
balls to race from 150 to 200. He got a
lifeline when West Indies skipper Darren
Sammy dropped a simple catch at cover
when his score was 170.

REUTERS

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