Rohit Sharma scored his second double hundred in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for India against Sri Lanka in the fourth ODI at Eden Gardens. Virat Kohli scored a good 66 in a partnership of 201 runs for the third wicket with Rohit as India piled on the runs against a hapless Sri Lankan attack. Rohit was dropped in the fifth over by Thisara Perera, a miss that cost the visitors dearly.
Ajinkya Rahane had got India off to a great start, scoring 17 runs off his first six balls, including four boundaries. He was finally dismissed for 28 off 24 balls to a dubious call from the umpire. Angelo Mathews’ delivery would perhaps have bounced over the stumps, but Rahane was adjudged LBW. New man Ambati Rayudu scratched about for eight runs, but was then cleaned up by Shaminda Eranga.
That brought Kohli to the middle, and signalled the start of a tremendous period of play for the hosts. Rohit started slowly, taking 72 balls to get to his first fifty. However, he soon opened the floodgates, scoring his next fifty off just 28 deliveries. He then kicked on further, getting to 150 off 125 deliveries. He went absolutely berserk after that, hitting boundaries at will and finding the gaps with consummate ease.
Kohli batted well at the other end, churning over the strike and ensuring that Rohit got plenty of the strike. He scored his 33rd ODI half-century in the process, but was run out soon after, in yet another mix-up with Rohit. Curiously, the pair was also involved in a run out (Kohli was out for a duck in that match) when Rohit scored 209 against Australia.
Rohit entered the 190s in the 44th over, and went on to complete his second ODI double ton off 151 balls. In the process he became the only man in history to score two ODI double centuries. He soon became the man with the highest ODI score after he went past Virender Sehwag’s 219 against West Indies. Rohit and Robin Uthappa put on a 100-run partnership off 48 balls, off which Uthappa’s contribution was 12. Rohit broke records galore, going past Shikhar Dhawan (248) as the Indian with the highest score in List A cricket when he got to his 250.
Earlier, Karn Sharma, the right-arm leg-spinner, made his debut for India. Apart from him, Stuart Binny, Robin Uthappa, and Rohit Sharma came back into the Indian side at the cost of Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Ravichandran Ashwin. For Sri Lanka, Ajantha Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Shaminda Eranga made comebacks to the side.
Brief scores:
India 404/5 in 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 264, Virat Kohli 66; Angelo Mathews 2 for 44) vs Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma double ton powers India to 404/5 against Sri Lanka in 4th ODI at Eden Gardens
