Ishan Kishan achieved a historic feat by eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar to secure a significant ODI record.
Ishan Kishan showcased his batting prowess with a second consecutive half-century during the second ODI clash against West Indies in Barbados on Saturday. In the process, the young cricketer achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Kishan now holds the record for the Indian batsman with the most runs as an opener in their first five ODI innings, amassing a total of 348 runs. This achievement eclipses Sachin Tendulkar’s 321 runs in the same phase, followed by Shubman Gill (320) and Kris Srikkanth (261). Furthermore, Kishan equaled MS Dhoni’s record of scoring back-to-back fifties as a wicket-keeper batsman, a feat that the former India skipper accomplished in 2017 against West Indies.
Despite Kishan’s impressive performance, the overall batting display of India’s World Cup hopefuls didn’t go according to plan on a challenging pitch. As a result, West Indies leveled the three-match ODI series with a convincing six-wicket victory, primarily driven by outstanding bowling performances from Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie.
India’s decision to rest skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli turned out to be a costly one, as the middle-order batsmen struggled to contend with the pace, bounce, and turn. India was eventually bowled out for a meager 181 in 40.5 overs in the rain-interrupted second ODI.
In response, West Indies weathered a spirited spell from Shardul Thakur (3/42 in 8 overs) before skipper Shai Hope (63 not out, 80 balls) and young Keacy Carty (48 not out, 65 balls) formed an unbroken partnership of 91 runs for the fifth wicket. This partnership allowed West Indies to secure victory in 36.4 overs and break a streak of nine consecutive bilateral defeats since December 2019.
However, it was India’s lackluster batting performance that ultimately proved to be their downfall, as they lost five wickets for just 23 runs in a mere 7.2 overs after a promising opening stand of 90 between Ishan Kishan (55 off 55 balls) and Shubman Gill (34 off 49 balls). West Indies skipper Shai Hope’s decision to bowl first paid off handsomely.
