Cricket-record-breaking Sehwag powers India to 418-5

Reuters: Virender Sehwag registered the highest individual score in 50-over cricket, hitting a blistering 219 to power India to a mammoth 418 for five wickets in the fourth one-day international against West Indies on Thursday.

The 33-year-old right-hander blasted seven sixes and 25 fours during his 149-ball stay to light up Indore’s Holkar Cricket Stadium as India posted their highest ever one-day total against a hapless West Indies attack.

Sehwag cut Andre Russell for a boundary to overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s 200 not out that was scored against South Africa in a Gwalior ODI on 24 February, 2010.

Leading the side in absence of regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sehwag won the toss and returned to vindicate his decision to bat first on a belter of a track.

Sehwag added 176 runs with Gautam Gambhir (67) in 22-odd overs before a mix-up resulted in the exit of his opening partner.

Next man in Suresh Raina (55) also helped himself to an easy half-century before departing in a similar fashion.

Sehwag, however, could not be tamed.  Playing his 240th one-dayer, the Delhi player treated the West Indian pacers and spinners with equal disdain and hit them almost at will.

The visitors made it worse with their sloppy fielding.

Sehwag was on 20 when Kieron Pollard’s direct hit missed the stumps with the batsman nowhere near the crease.

The double century would not have materialised either had his opposite number Darren Sammy, running from extra cover, not dropped an easy catch off Ravi Rampaul.

Sehwag was batting on 170 at that stage.  Pollard eventually removed a tired Sehwag in the 47th over but the batsman by then had ensured India posted their fourth 400-plus total in one-day cricket.