It was only fitting that Sachin Tendulkar’s ‘clone’ Virender Sehwag bettered the Master Blaster’s record of the highest individual score by a batsman in one-day internationals (ODIs).
Sehwag became only the second batsman to score a double hundred in ODIs when he smashed a record 219 (149 balls, 25×4, 7×6) against the West Indies during the fourth ODI in Indore on Thursday.
Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in February 2010 in Gwalior. Sehwag, who considers Tendulkar his idol, was considered by many as the man who would break the Master Blaster’s record. He did not disappoint.The Nawab of Najafgarh had been struggling to put runs on the board in the first three matches of this series with scores of 20, 26 and 0. All that changed at Indore’s Holkar stadium. Sehwag hit the West Indian bowlers all over the park and propelled India to 418/5 in 50 overs.The dashing opener whose last century (175 against Bangladesh) came during the World Cup in February 2011 said he surprised himself with the double hundred.“I never dreamt of it. I told Gauti (Gambhir) that if showed a little patience we could get a big one. But I was never expecting a double century,” he said. “I know people expected me to score a double century, so thanks to them. And thanks to my family.”
