Kohli century steers India to victory

Virat Kohli (117) and Rohit Sharma (90 not out) were the mainstays as the hosts got to their target of 270 with 11 balls to spare.

The fourth-wicket pair added 163 with Kohli giving a further boost to his burgeoning reputation with his eighth ODI ton.

When the West Indies slumped to 170-9 after being put into bat it appeared that India would have an easy ride to go 2-0 up in the ODI series.

That wasn't to reckon for Ravi Rampaul whose 86 not out was the highest score by a number 10 batsman in ODIs. In addition, the left-hander's 99-run stand with last man Kemar Roach ? which came in 14 overs ? was the third-highest for the final wicket in ODIs.
Rampaul hit six sixes and six fours in a blistering attack that made a mockery of what had gone before in the West Indies innings.

Opener Lendl Simmons held firm at the top of the order with 78 and Kieron Pollard flickered briefly with 35 off 30 balls. No other batsman in the top nine surpassed 13 as the West Indian innings faltered from the off.
Under cloudy skies ? that saw the India innings halted later on for a rain break ? the home pace bowlers took advantage of favourable seaming conditions.

Umesh Yadav struck the first two blows before R. Vinay Kumar picked up three wickets to reduce the tourists to 63-5.

Simmons and Pollard then added 56 in quick time before the latter was dismissed just as he was getting into his stride. Having struck sixes from each of the previous two deliveries from spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Pollard was adjudged to have been caught off the glove by wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.
Roach gave West Indies a further boost when he struck in his first over to remove Patel, caught low-down at slip by captain Darren Sammy. It could have been two wickets in the over had Sammy taken an easier chance to dismiss Virender Sehwag.
After Gautam Gambhir went cheaply, Sehwag and Kohli added 45 before Sehwag finally went for 26.

Kohli was then joined by Sharma as the fourth-wicket pair kept up with the required rate of around six-an-over without taking undue risks.

Boundaries were rattled off with increasing regularity as victory became a formality the longer the partnership went on.

Kohli tried one expansive shot too many when he edged Rampaul behind the wicket before Dinesh Ramdin took another catch in the next over to remove Suresh Raina for 0.
Sharma ensured there would be no great alarms when he struck a six over long-off in the 48th over.

Ravindra Jadeja finished the game in the following over to start the celebrations in earnest.

India can now wrap up the five-ODI series in Ahmedabad on Monday.