Kohli's 139 and Gill's 110 Propel India to Crushing Eight-Wicket Win Over West Indies

Dominance with the ball in the middle overs followed by an exhibition of supreme strokeplay ensured India began their home 50-over campaign on a thunderous note. Chasing 296 at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday, the hosts dismantled the West Indian bowling attack with clinical precision. Spearheaded by a vintage, unbeaten 139 from Virat Kohli and an authoritative 110 from skipper Shubman Gill, India overhauled the target in just 41.4 overs, sealing an emphatic eight-wicket victory to seize a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

DailyCricInfo brings you the complete, fact-checked match report, statistical milestones, and tactical breakdown from the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kuldeep's Four-Wicket Burst Derails West Indies After Greaves' Century

Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, Indian captain Shubman Gill saw the West Indian openers put together a resolute start.

Justin Greaves and John Campbell negotiated the early seam movement well, constructing a strong 135-run stand for the opening wicket in 19.2 overs. Campbell took the aggressive route, hitting six fours and three sixes in a 60-ball 62, while Greaves anchored the innings with composure, reaching his maiden ODI century with 101 off 108 deliveries featuring 12 boundaries.

However, the introduction of wrist-spin completely changed the narrative through the middle overs.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav produced a game-turning spell. Kuldeep dismantled the Caribbean top order, dismissing Keacy Carty (13), West Indies captain Shai Hope (12), Greaves (101), and Jewel Andrew (0) for a golden duck in rapid succession. West Indies collapsed from 176 for 1 to 198 for 5 in the space of 33 deliveries.

Kuldeep finished with standout figures of 4 for 40 in ten overs, including a maiden.

Pacer Prasidh Krishna chipped in with two wickets (2 for 60), but a spirited counter-attack from Amir Jangoo (58 off 43 balls, with seven fours and a six) and Roston Chase (24 off 32) helped the visitors recover, finishing on a competitive 295 for 7 in their 50 overs.

Rohit Provides Rapid Start Before Kohli and Gill Take Over

Chasing 296 on a deck settling nicely under the evening dew, India hit the ground running.

Senior opener Rohit Sharma came out firing, blasting three sixes and two fours on his way to 32 off 35 deliveries. Rohit added 74 runs with Gill inside 12 overs before falling to speedster Alzarri Joseph (1 for 81), caught by Jewel Andrew.

Rohit's departure brought Virat Kohli to the middle, sparking an unbroken masterclass of run-chasing.

Kohli and Gill dictated terms against both pace and spin, putting on a breathtaking 151-run alliance for the second wicket in just 22 overs. Gill combined watchful defense with fluent boundaries, bringing up his century off 98 deliveries before eventually holing out off Chase for 110 off 108 balls, studded with 13 fours and a six.

Kohli Crosses 15,000 ODI Runs in 88-Ball 139 Carnage

Once Gill departed at 225 for 2, Kohli went on an absolute rampage.

During his innings, Kohli reached another monumental milestone in his decorated career, crossing 15,000 runs in one-day international cricket to become only the second batter in the history of the game to achieve the feat.

The maestro reached his 55th ODI century in just 74 deliveries, dispatching nine colossal sixes and ten boundaries to finish unbeaten on 139 off only 88 balls at an explosive strike rate of 157.95. Ruturaj Gaikwad played the finishing spectator role with 13 not out off 19 balls as India crossed the line at 300 for 2 in 41.4 overs, winning with 50 balls to spare.

Kuldeep Yadav was named Player of the Match for his decisive spell of 4 for 40 that broke the back of the West Indies batting order.

With a 1-0 series advantage in hand, India head northeast to Guwahati for the second ODI at the ACA Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, looking to seal the bilateral series.

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