New Delhi: India’s top four batsmen put on a batting masterclass as they became the first team in ODI World Cup history to have all of them score half-centuries in an innings. India posted a mammoth 410 for 3 in their 50 overs against Netherlands at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on 12 November.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill gave India a flying start with a 113-run opening stand in just 14.2 overs. Sharma was the aggressor, hitting 61 off 54 balls with 10 fours and a six. Gill played a supporting role, scoring 51 off 57 balls with six fours.
Virat Kohli joined Sharma at the crease and continued the onslaught, scoring his 71st ODI half-century in just 40 balls. He hit seven fours and a six in his 51-run knock. Sharma and Kohli added 87 runs for the second wicket in 11.1 overs.
Shreyas Iyer came in at number four and played a sensational innings of 128 not out off 85 balls. He smashed 14 fours and five sixes and shared a 152-run partnership with Kohli for the third wicket. He also added an unbeaten 58-run stand with KL Rahul for the fourth wicket.
Rahul was equally impressive, scoring his 10th ODI century in just 62 balls. He hit 11 fours and four sixes in his 102-run knock. He reached his hundred in the last over of the innings with a six off the penultimate ball.
India’s total of 410 for 3 was their second-highest in World Cup history, behind their 413 for 5 against Bermuda in 2007. It was also the highest total by any team against the Netherlands in ODIs.
India’s top four batsmen achieved several records with their brilliant batting display. They became the first team to have all their top four score fifties in a World Cup innings. They also became the second team after Sri Lanka in 2006 to have all their top four score fifties in any ODI innings.
Sharma and Kohli also became the first pair to score 50-plus runs each in the same World Cup innings four times. They had previously done so against South Africa, Australia, and England in the 2019 edition.
Iyer and Rahul also became the first pair to score centuries each in the same World Cup innings while batting at number four and five respectively. They also became the second pair after Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in 1999 to score centuries each in the same World Cup innings while batting at number three and four or lower.
India’s top four batsmen scored a combined 341 runs, which was the highest by any team’s top four in a World Cup innings. It was also the third highest by any team’s top four in any ODI innings, behind Sri Lanka’s 363 in 2006 and India’s 358 in 2017.
