[1] India captain Virender Sehwag acknowledges applause as he leaves the ground after being dismissed for 219 in the fourth one-day match against West Indies in Indore, India. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag bludgeoned a world record 219 as India handed West Indies a 153-run drubbing in Indore to win their one-day international series.
Sehwag broke compatriot Sachin Tendulkar's ODI mark of 200 not out against South Africa at Gwalior last year to help register a team score of 418-5 in 50 overs, India's highest ever in one-dayers.
In reply, West Indies was all out for 265 in 49.2 overs, with a valiant run-a-ball 96 by Denesh Ramdin. Spinners Rahul Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets apiece.
Sehwag accumulated an astounding 142 runs from boundaries, smashing 25 fours and seven sixes in 149 balls to help seal the five-game series 3-1.
Sehwag's 15th ODI century was his first as captain and beat his previous best of 175 against Bangladesh at the 2011 World Cup. The Delhi batsman enabled his team to better its previous best of 414-7 against Sri Lanka at Rajkot in 2009 and also register the joint-fourth highest ever in ODIs.
"I was cheering for Sachin when he got his double-hundred and it's great to break his record," Sehwag said. "The last time I played 47 overs, I got 175. This time I got 200."
The hard-hitting Sehwag reached hundred in only 69 balls with a four through point off pace bowler Kieron Pollard and broke world mark with a similar shot.
After a few singles in the 190s, Sehwag cracked another four through point, this time off Andre Russell, to move from 197 to 201 to beat Tendulkar's record.
But unlike Tendulkar, who reached the 200-run mark in the last over of the innings, Sehwag got there in only the 44th over, triggering celebrations in the packed 30,000-capacity Holkar Cricket Stadium.
The 33-year-old Sehwag pumped his fist in joy and raised his hands as he was first hugged by batting partner Rohit Sharma and then congratulated by the West Indian players.
"I had told my opening partner Gautam Gambhir that if we can show some patience on this track we will be in for a big one," Sehwag said. "It was only after the batting powerplay started, I felt that I could reach a double-hundred."
Sehwag showed his trademark aerial shots early on, hitting an "upper-cut" six over third man off pace bowler Kemar Roach and then welcoming Sunil Narine into the attack with a six over long-on from the offspinner's first ball.
He hammered Narine for another six over long-on later in the innings, while also hitting three sixes off Russell and one off captain Darren Sammy.
Sehwag, who captained India in the absence of regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, survived a few run-out chances and was also dropped on 170 by Sammy off pace bowler Ravi Rampaul.
"When Sammy dropped me, I knew that God was with me," said Sehwag, who was eventually out in the 47th over when he miscued a shot and was caught on the long-off boundary.
"Sehwag has destroyed bowlers all over the world," Sammy said. "We bowled some good balls but he played better shots."
Electing to bat after opting to field in the previous three games, Sehwag added 176 in the opening stand with Gambhir (67) and 140 for the next with Suresh Raina (55).
Gambhir, who replaced Parthiv Patel as opener after batting at No. 3 in the first three games, got most of his early runs on the off side and opted not to go for big shots with Sehwag running riot at the other end.
Raina was also happy playing second fiddle to Sehwag, hitting six fours in 44 balls.
In the West Indies' innings, opener Lendl Simmons showed some early promise in a 35-ball knock of 36 before the Indian spinners took control of the proceedings.
Debutant legspinner Rahul Sharma dismissed a well-set Marlon Samuels (33) as the batsman played on. The lanky bowler also bowled Danza Hyatt (11) and Kieron Pollard (3) as West Indies was reduced to 100-5 in the 16th over with the fight all but over.
Ramdin struck 12 fours but could only manage to prolong the innings before he was caught in the deep in sight of a century.
The final game of the series will be held in Chennai on Sunday.
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