Virender Sehwag's 219: The numbers game

The statistical highlights of the opener Virender Sehwag`s innings against West Indies in the fourth ODI in Indore on Thursday.

Zeenews Sports Bureau

Indore: Sachin Tendulkar was the holder of the record for highest individual score in ODIs when he left for Australia, but before landing in Melbourne it was rewritten by the dashing opener Virender Sehwag. In fact, Viru was always tipped to get to the landmark. It was a matter of ‘when’ not if. Hence, the feat – 219 runs in the fourth ODI against West Indies - failed to surprise many despite the fact that he was coming off a lean patch this year. On Thursday, Sehwag finished with 219 from 149 balls in the fourth ODI against Windies, at a strike rate of 146.97. The innings included 25 fours and seven sixes, which means 142 runs came in boundaries. Interestingly, Sachin struck exactly 25 fours too in his unbeaten 200 in Gwalior. No batsman has hit more fours in an ODI innings. Sehwag`s 219 is his first hundred as captain. He is now the sixth Indian to reach 8,000 runs or more in ODIs, aggregating 8025 at an average of 35.66 in 240 matches, joining Sachin Tendulkar (18,111), Sourav Ganguly (11363), Rahul Dravid (10889), Mohammad Azharuddin (9378) and Yuvraj Singh (8051). Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir shared a stand of 176 for the first wicket, emulating Ajay Jadeja and Sachin Tendulkar, who had shared 176 for the first wicket against West Indies at Cuttack on November 9, 1994. The Indian record for the first wicket against the West Indies is 196 between Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag at Rajkot on November 12, 2002. Sehwag has posted 32 boundaries (25 fours and seven sixes) in his innings - a new record in ODIs. Also, for the first time, he has recorded seven sixes in an innings. Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya`s superb 189 against India at Sharjah on October 29, 2000 was the previous highest by a captain in ODIs. Sehwag has recorded 15 hundreds - the third highest by an Indian, next only to Sachin Tendulkar (48) and Sourav Ganguly (22). Against West Indies, he has two hundreds to his credit. India have won 14 games when Sehwag has posted a hundred. Sehwag got his 23rd Man of the Match award in ODIs and the second against West Indies. Sehwag, thanks to his double hundred, is averaging 53.75 in ODIs this year - 645 in twelve innings, including two hundreds and one fifty. Sehwag is now the first player to register two triple centuries in Tests apart from one double century in ODIs. Sehwag`s marvellous feat of making 142 runs through boundaries is the second highest in ODIs, behind Shane Watson`s 150 (15 fours and 15 sixes) during his great knock of 185 not out off 96 balls for Australia against Bangladesh at Dhaka on April 11, 2011. Sehwag reached his century off 69 balls - the quickest for India against the West Indies in ODIs, eclipsing his own record. He had registered a 75-ball century against the West Indies at Rajkot on November 12, 2002. Sehwag took 149 balls for his marvellous innings – the most by him in an innings, eclipsing the 140 balls faced by him while posting 175 against Bangladesh at Dhaka on February 19, 2011. Sehwag`s double hundred is the fastest in ODIs, having taken 140 balls. Sachin had reached the double hundred off 147 balls. With PTI inputs