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Sehwag breaks Sachin’s record in massive win




INDORE: Virender Sehwag smashed the highest score in one-day cricket on Thursday as India flattened the West Indies by 153 runs to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the five-match series.Sehwag hammered a scintillating 219 off 149 balls to lift India to their best one-day total of 418-5, before the West Indies were bowled out for 265 in the fourth international.
Debutant leg-spinner Rahul Sharma picked up three wickets in his first three overs as the tourists were outplayed despite a defiant 96 from wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.
Ramdin put on 64 for the last wicket with Sunil Narine (27 not out) before he was caught in the deep attempting to score his maiden one-day century.
Sehwag plundered 25 boundaries and seven sixes during his 149-ball blitz, joining compatriot Sachin Tendulkar as the only batsmen in history to score double-centuries in the 50-over format.
Sehwag moved past Tendulkar’s 200 not out – against South Africa in Gwalior last year – in the 44th over when, on 197, he cut Andre Russell to the point fence.
He was finally dismissed in the 47th over when he was caught in the deep off Kieron Pollard and was clapped off the field by the entire West Indies team and some 30,000 jubilant home fans.
“I was cheering for Sachin when he got his double-hundred and it’s great to emulate that,” the 33-year-old Sehwag said.
“The pitch was great and allowed you to play your shots. I think you can get a double-hundred like this when you’re experienced. The last time I played 47 overs I got 175, this time I got 200.”West Indies captain Darren Sammy said there was little his team could do to stop Sehwag’s onslaught.
“Sehwag has destroyed bowlers all over the world, not only us,” said Sammy.
“We bowled some good balls but he played better shots.
“The pitch was a belter but we got pegged back by their spinners. They kept taking wickets and made in hard for us. It is good that in the end we managed to get past 250.”Sehwag’s blistering knock helped India surpass their previous highest one-day total of 414-7 against Sri Lanka in Rajkot in 2009.

 

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