MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2018 16 Kohli, Sharma trample Windies

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma notched up centuries to help chase down a mammoth target AFP | Guwahati, India

kipper Virat Kohli and Ro- Scoreboard hit Sharma hit sparkling Scenturies yesterday to lead West Indies India’s eight- demolition K. Powell c Dhawan b Ahmed 51 of West Indies in the first one- C. Hemraj b Shami 9 day international in Guwahati. S. Hope c Dhoni b Shami 32 Kohli made 140 and Sharma M. Samuels lbw b Chahal 0 took an unbeaten 152 for a re- S. Hetmyer c Pant b Jadeja 106 cord 246 runs to flay the West R. Powell b Jadeja 22 Indies bowling attack during J. Holder b Chahal 38 their team’s 323-run chase. A. Nurse lbw b Chahal 2 The hosts, who swept the two- D. Bishoo 22 Test series against the visiting K. Roach not out 26 Caribbean side, romped home Extras (lb6, w8) 14 with 47 balls to spare. Total (8 , 50 overs) 322 The effort from Kohli and Bowling: Shami 10-0-81-2 (w2), Yadav 10-0-64-0 (w3), Ahmed 10-0-64-1 (w3), Chahal Sharma easily overshadowed a 10-0-41-3, Jadeja 10-0-66-2 dominant 106 by West Indies India (target 323) batsman Shermon Hetmyer in R. Sharma not out 152 his team’s 322-8 after being put S. Dhawan b Thomas 4 into bat first. V. Kohli st Hope b Bishoo 140 In reply, India lost opener Shi- A. Rayudu not out 22 khar Dhawan in just the second Extras (lb2, nb3, w3) 8 over of the innings after he was Total (2 wickets, 42.1 overs) 326 bowled by debutant fast bowler Bowling: Roach 7-0-52-0, Thomas 9-0-83-1 (w2, nb1), Holder 8-0-45-0 (w1), Nurse . 7-0-63-0, Bishoo 10-0-72-1 (nb2), Hemraj 1.1-0-9-0 Kohli then took charge with Indian batsman and team Virat Kohli plays a shot Toss: India Sharma, who was happy play- Result: India won by 8 wickets ing second fiddle to his in-form quiet till his captain’s 100, soon ning six with Ambati Rayudu, Series: India lead the five-match series 1-0 captain, as the duo put on India’s got cracking and reached his who remained unbeaten on 22, biggest-ever ODI stand against century with a boundary off at the other end. West Indies for any wicket. spinner Ashley Nurse. West Indies had their mo - 3-41 from his 10 overs, to check Roach, on 26, put on 44 runs The skipper built on his The two marauding bats - ments in the game when Het- West Indies’ surge. for their ninth wicket unbeaten quickfire fifty to get his 36th men started to toy with the myer smashed six fours and six Hetmyer, who registered his stand to take West Indies well ODI ton in just 88 deliveries, 323Kohli made 140 and opposition bowlers before sixes during his 78-ball knock to third ODI century in just his 13th past the 300-run mark, which hitting Roach for a boundary Sharma took 152 for a Devendra Bishoo got Kohli give his side what looked like a game, built crucial partnerships in the end proved insufficient to to make the three-figure mark record 246 runs during against the run of play. competitive total. including a 60-run sixth wicket test the Indian batting. amid loud cheers from a packed their team’s 323-run chase Kohli smashed 21 fours and 2 Leg spinner Yuzvendra Cha- stand with skipper , The second ODI in the five- home crowd. sixes. hal claimed three wickets, re- who made 38. game series is scheduled for Sharma, who was relatively Sharma went on to hit the win- turning impressive figures of Bishoo, on 22, and Kemar Wednesday in Visakhapatnam. Pliskova serves up Wozniacki upset Messi to miss three weeks AFP | Barcelona return trip to Italy on Novem- AFP | Singapore ber 6, as well as league games ionel Messi is expected to against Real Madrid and Rayo arolina Pliskova issued a Lbe out for three weeks with Vallecano in between. Kwarning to her opponents a fractured right arm but his “It is clear it is a blow,” Barca at the WTA Finals with a con- last contribution was to help coach Ernesto Valverde said. vincing straight-sets victory send Barcelona back to the top “We know what he gives us against defending champion of La Liga on Saturday. and we know what he does to Caroline Wozniacki. Messi scored and then went the opposition. The dynamic 26-year-old’s off injured as Barca beat Sevil- “We have to prepare our- easy 6-2, 6-4 triumph in Sin - la 4-2 at Camp Nou, in a six- selves, it is clear we are going gapore was sweet revenge for goal thriller that never looked to notice the loss of Messi but Pliskova, who lost to Wozniacki like ending in anything other we have players that can cov- in the semis at last year’s WTA than a home win. er.” Finals. Any joy at jumping above Messi fell to the ground fol- Pliskova had strapping on in-form Sevilla, however, was lowing a tussle with Sevilla’s her lower right leg but moved tarnished by Messi’s injury, Franco Vazquez and, as his well against the sluggish second which will now rule him out of right hand tried to cushion the seed. next weekend’s Clasico against landing, his elbow appeared to The hard-hitting Czech was Real Madrid. buckle. not broken on serve for the en- A Barcelona club statement Messi was helped off the tire match and fittingly closed it read: “Tests carried out on Leo pitch by medical staff and, out with an ace. Messi have confirmed that he despite having his right arm “I felt good from the base - has a fracture of the radial heavily strapped, he was final- line and it was not all about my bone in his right arm. He will ly substituted in 26th minute. serve,” Pliskova said after the be out for approximately three “Emotionally, we know match. weeks.” when he is there, he gives us “She started a bit nervous in Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova hits a return against Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki It means Messi will also miss more confidence because he is the beginning, it’s always tough the Champions League match the best in the world,” Gerard to defend a title.” year before yesterday, struggled groove but squandered break sively turned the tables. at home to Inter Milan on Pique said. “But it does not Pliskova played down injury with rhythm in the first set and points in the eighth and 10th “Winning this match definite- Wednesday, and probably the have to affect us.” concerns. made several uncharacteristic games in a disappointing start ly gives me lots of confidence,” “I don’t know what is wrong errors. to her title defence. Svitolina told reporters after with me, but, you know, it’s the “I think I was struggling a lit- the match. end of the season,” she said. tle bit with the timing in some of Svitolina beats curse “I played good, quite solid “I have now two days, so I’m the points and just trying to find Earlier, a determined Svitolina from the baseline and putting sure it’s going to be fine.” my rhythm,” she said. ended her long-time jinx against pressure on Petra. I was really, The world number eight “I think there were times former Wimbledon champ Kvi- really solid, and I think this was stunned Wozniacki with a where I played really well, and tova, cruising to a straight sets really the key.” brilliant first set highlighted I was trying to move her around, win. Kvitova rued her subpar by trademark booming ground but there were also times when The world number six tri - opening performance. strokes. I just didn’t time the ball per- umphed 6-3, 6-3 in just 89 min- “Wasn’t the best start, but She saved two break points fectly.” utes in the tournament opener, the good thing is there is still a in her opening service game The one-way traffic con - easily overcoming a lacklus- chance to play better and to im- before overwhelming the Aus- tinued in the second set with tre Kvitova, who had 29 un - prove and maybe go somewhere tralian Open champion en Pliskova breaking immediately, forced errors and seven double forward,” she said. route to winning five straight saving three break points in the faults. Kvitova’s trademark firepow- games. next game to the frustration of Svitolina had won just one er moved Svitolina around the Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi gestures in pain during the Wozniacki, who had only her opponent. set in seven straight harrowing hard court but the Ukrainian’s Spanish league football match FC Barcelona against Sevilla FC at the Camp played two top-10 players this The Dane started to find her defeats to the Czech but impres- defence was up to the task. Nou stadium in Barcelona