India captain Virat Kohli stroked 102 off 83 balls Friday to lead India to victory over West Indies in a rain-affected fourth one-day cricket international of the Celkon Mobile Cup at Queen's Park Oval, says a report in Indian Express.
The 24-year-old batsman, leading in the absence of the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, smashed 13 fours and two sixes for his 14th one-day ton that helped guide the visitors to 311-7 off 50 overs.
Openers Shikhar Dhawan, with 69 off 76 deliveries, and Rohit Sharma, who contributed 46 off 78 balls, set the early platform in an opening stand of 123.
West Indies' reply never got the necessary momentum and the team was bowled out for 171 off 34 overs to lose by 102 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method.
Seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-29), Umesh Yadav (3-32) and Ishant Sharma (2-30) led the way for India.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, the hosts had been stuttering at 56-2 off 10 overs when a rain shower caused a delay of an hour and a half and resulted in a reduced target of 274 off 39 overs.
The victory was set up by India's huge total after they were sent in front of a crowd of close to 15,000. Dhawan was the more enterprising opener at the start, playing some authentic strokes through the off side as India built a base to reach 39 off the first 10 overs.
Sharma grew in confidence and the pair began to flourish once the shine went off the two new balls. Their stand reached 123 in 23 overs before the hosts struck back with a clatter of wickets mid-innings.
Kemar Roach made a crucial breakthrough in the first over of his second spell, as Dhawan holed out to deep midwicket. The left-hander hit eight fours and two sixes. Sharma followed soon afterwards edging to Denesh Ramdin behind the stumps from Tino Best's first ball of his new spell at 141-2.
The Times Of India reports that Sharma too joined him in the pavillion when he edged one behind off Tino Best. In space of seven overs India lost Suresh Raina (10), Dinesh Karthik (6) and Murali Vijay (27). Ravindra Jadeja's run out made things worse for India but Kohli pulled India out of trouble.
Stage was set for Indian pacers and Bhuvneshwar (3/29) and Ishant Sharma knocked off half of the West Indies' batting line up in no time. Sharma had Marlon Samuels (6) caught before removing set opener Johnson Charles (45), while Bhuvneshwar added the wicket of swashbuckler Kieron Pollard, who could not even open his account.
Umesh Yadav (3/32) joined the party by scalping Denesh Ramdin (9) and rival skipper Dwayne Bravo (14) to leave West Indies reeling at 108 for six.