Young Shimron Hetmyer’s brilliant century helped the visitors’ Windies to put a big challenging total 322/8 (50 overs) against the hosts India in the first ODI of the five-match ODI series at Barsapara Cricket Stadium (Guwahati).
Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to field first after winning the toss. After the international debutant opener Chandrapaul Hemraj was dismissed on 9 runs, opener Kieron Powell and the no.3 wicketkeeper-batsman Shai Hope provided a 65-run partnership for the second wicket. While Powell played a fast half-century knock (51 off 39 balls), Hope played a 32 runs knock.
At next, the no.5 batsman Shimron Hetmyer carried the innings and completed a brilliant fast century in just 74 balls. The young left-handed batsman scored 106 off 78 balls with 6 fours and 6 sixes. He had two good partnerships in the middle-order – 74 runs partnership for the fifth wicket with Rovman Powell and 60 runs partnership for the sixth wicket with the skipper Jason Holder.
Powell played a 22-run knock while Holder was bowled after scoring 38 runs. At the end of the innings, Devendra Bishoo (22* off 26 balls) and Kemar Roach (26* off 22 balls) provided an important unbroken 44-run partnership for the ninth wicket that helped the visitors to manage a good first innings total on the board as they scored 322/8 (50 overs).
Among the Indian bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal (3/41) bagged three wickets while Mohammed Shami (2/81) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/66) took two wickets each and Khaleel Ahmed (1/64) picked up one wicket.
Some key stats of the innings:
- At the age of just 21 years and 299 days, Windies left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer scored his first ODI century against India. He is the fourth youngest Windies batsman to hit an ODI century against India.
- Also, Shimron Hetmyer became the second youngest batsman to score their first ODI century against India in India. Pakistan opener Salman Butt is the record holder who scored his first ODI century against the hosts India at the age of 20 years and 37 days at Kolkata (13 November 2004).
- Windies batsman Shimron Hetmyer completed his century in just 74 balls. Since June 2001, it is the second fastest ODI century by a Windies batsman against India. In that period of time, the record holder is Marlon Samuels who completed his ODI century against India in 73 balls at Vijayawada on November 24, 2002.
- Windies scored 322/8 at the end of 50 overs. It is their fourth highest ODI total against India on the Indian soil.
Here are some Twitter reactions:
Proud moment for @RishabPant777 as he receives his ODI cap from @msdhoni 👏👏🙌#INDvWI pic.twitter.com/NPb26PJY0B
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/fwildecricket/status/1053961130899595264
He was on fire.
A lot to admire.
Shemron Hetmeyer.
Good? No? Okay 😐🙈😇 #IndvWI Well played 🙏 pic.twitter.com/YntSKOlO8r— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 21, 2018
Enough on the board to make this game interesting…if WI manages to go past the top three. Looking forward to see Thomas and Roach bowl to Rohit-Dhawan-Kohli. Fire with fire. Should be fun. #IndvWI
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 21, 2018
Chasing 323 wont be easy for India. Have to keep up with the run rate as well as preserve wickets. Dhawan’s early wicket is major setback
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 21, 2018
What an inn by #Hetmyer..he is gonna be a next million dollar baby in the @IPL 2019 #INDvsWI 1st ODI
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/Ahmadbilal111/status/1053917756976967680
https://twitter.com/AsliVikrant/status/1053940892174757888
When you have Sunil Gavaskar and VVS Laxman doing English commentary and Aakash Chopra and Kapil Dev doing hindi bacaiti. #INDvWI pic.twitter.com/rEDcKGRSRI
— PK (@PunCuz_) October 21, 2018
