Tough to dismiss Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli when they are in full flow, says Ravindra Jadeja

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Sunday said that it is very difficult to contain the duo of skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma when they are batting in full flow. The hosts chased down a tall target of 323 runs with considerable ease, with Kohli and Rohit sharing a massive 246-run partnership for the second wicket. India eventually mowed down the challenging target with more than 7 overs to spare, thus taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.

Put into bat first, the visitors got off to a decent start, with opener Kieron Powell getting to a quick fifty. However, the main man for the Windies was Shimron Hetmyer who smashed his way to a faster than a run-a-ball century to propel his side over the 300-run mark. He was however dismissed shortly after getting to his hundred, but the Windies nevertheless finished with 322 on the board.

Virat and Rohit take control of the chase after Dhawan’s dismissal

In reply, India did not get off to the start that was expected from their prolific opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit, with the former being dismissed for just 4. The right-hander was then joined by his captain, who took charge of the chase as he has done on so many previous occasions. Meanwhile, the Mumbai batsman played the supporting role but went ballistic soon after he’d crossed his half-century.

“If they are set, it’s tough to get them out. They can hit ground strokes and in the air with equal ease. It becomes tough against such batters,” said Jadeja after India’s commanding eight-wicket win. “They played proper cricketing shots. They did not take any chances, they were just playing according to the situation,” said the left-arm spinner talking about Kohli and Rohit’s mammoth partnership, the first ever 200-plus run stand against the Windies.

Jadeja himself returned with figures of 2 for 66 as the visitors put up a rampaging batting show. He said the conditions were ideal for batting even as the hosts had apprehensions that the wicket would behave differently while chasing the stiff target.

“The wicket was very good to bat on. It was not spinning or swinging much. The ball was coming on to the bat nicely. It was ideal conditions for the batsmen,” Jadeja added.

India and the Windies next take each other on in Vishakhapatnam for the second ODI on October 24.

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