This was the first men’s ODI being played in New Chandigarh. But unless you already knew, it would have been impossible to tell – the venue and the roads leading to it showed no signs of a special occasion.
India didn’t have an auspicious start either. After they opted to bat, Jayden Seales dismissed captain-cum-local-hero Gill and crowd-magnet Kohli within the first three overs. By then, only about 20% of the stands were filled, and some of those still in long queues outside the stadium to procure physical tickets began grumbling about refunds.
Inside, Rohit and Ruturaj Gaikwad knuckled down. From 4 for 2 in 2.4 overs, they steadied the side to 28 for 2 en route to a century stand. But when both fell in quick succession, the situation turned tricky for India. At 160 for 4 in the 29th over, another wicket would have exposed the inexperienced lower-middle order, while a slowdown would have sucked the momentum out of the innings.
In the middle were Rahul, batting for the first time in this series, and Naman Dhir, batting for the first time in international cricket. This is where Rahul’s experience and ever-evolving skillset shone. He switched gears seamlessly – consolidating and accelerating as required – and produced his highest ODI score: an unbeaten 129 off 87 balls. His wagon wheel looked like a kaleidoscope, with ten fours and six sixes shining the brightest.
Rahul began by taking his time to assess the conditions. He was on 8 off 14 balls when left-arm wristspinner Vitel Lawes erred in his length, allowing Rahul to hit back-to-back fours. With Dhir also playing some exquisite shots, India kept scoring briskly without taking undue risks.
Still, it was only when Rahul drove Seales to the straight boundary in the 33rd over that India’s scoring rate touched six for the first time. Just as it seemed they were out of danger, Gudakesh Motie dismissed Dhir for 30. With 14 overs remaining and Nitish Kumar Reddy, the last recognised batter, for company, Rahul had to recalibrate. He brought up his fifty off 41 balls but India went 32 balls without a boundary and also lost Reddy.
But Rahul ended the drought with successive fours off Keemo Paul at the start of the 43rd over. He was fortunate as well. First, Motie dropped a return catch when he was on 70, and then, on 74, John Campbell failed to hold on to a difficult chance at short fine leg.
Despite playing within himself, Rahul had reached 84 off 72 balls, steering India to 301 for 7 in 47 overs. After that, he launched on an all-out attack. With West Indies penalised for slow over rate, there was one fewer fielder protecting the boundary, but it hardly mattered to Rahul.
He took the aerial route and hit five sixes in the last three overs; one of them – a hook over fine leg off Seales – brought up his hundred off just 80 balls. He kept most of the strike during this period, ransacking 45 off the last 15 balls he faced. Along with Gurnoor Brar, he added 61 off 26 in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand, with Brar contributing 8 off six balls.
Apart from Motie, Rahul struck at more than a run a ball against every bowler. Even Seales, West Indies’ best bowler on the day, went for 34 off the 21 deliveries he bowled to Rahul. Such was the quality of his innings that Gill, Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir gave a standing ovation from the dressing room.
That late onslaught was impressive because of one more reason. With the latest changes in playing conditions, only one ball is used from both ends after the 34th over, thus allowing chances of reverse swing. Rahul said he has been doing special preparation to counter that soft, reverse-swinging ball.
“I have been doing this [middle-order] role for the last six-seven years,” Rahul said after the match. “But in the last year and a half, since the ball changes happened, it has been very different. It has not been easy to get 80-90 in the last ten overs. The ball has been reversing and even today, Alzarri [Joseph] was [getting it to reverse].
“And when the ball gets soft, you don’t feel confident enough to take on long-on and deep midwicket. I have always batted at the top of the order; I like a hard ball so that I can use the pace. So that’s something that I have been working on – trying to play with softer, older balls and being able to hit sixes with that.”
The work showed as he powered India to 351 for 7. Even though West Indies chased it down, those who arrived late still got full value for their money.
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at Cricinfo
Source: www.cricinfo.com
