Skipper Virat Kohli leads India to series win against West Indies with 43rd ODI hundred

 Skipper Virat Kohli hammered his second consecutive hundred to fashion India's series-clinching victory in third match as India spoilt Chris Gayle's possible ODI swan-song, here on Wednesday. 

In what appeared to be his last ODI for West Indies, Gayle smashed his way to a 72-run kck, leing hosts to a competitive 240 for seven in rain-curtailed match after y elected to bat.

Soon after his dismissal, Indian players rushed towards Gayle, shaking hands with him. Kohli even performed typical Gayle jig before burly West Indian walked off.

Gayle, in his inimitable style, put his helmet on top of his bat's handle and lifted bat in air while walking off. Near boundary ropes, he hurled helmet in air only to catch it back. 

gestures suggested that Gayle has played his last ODI. 

India were set a stiff revised 255-run target on Duckworth-Lewis method but Kohli's unsatiable appetite for runs and young Shreyas Iyer's assuring support to his skipper meant that it eventually turned out to be a comfortable six-wicket win which translated into a 2-0 series victory.

counter-attacking 65-run kck by Iyer was game-changing as he took pressure off his captain.

It was India's ninth consecutive ODI series win, at home and away, over West Indies.

Coming out to bat when India h lost opener Rohit Sharma (10), Kohli raised his 43rd ODI hundred and in process crossed phemenal 20,000 runs mark in international cricket.

Kohli remained unbeaten on 114 and completed win with back-to-back boundaries off Carlos Brathwaite.

His dominant kck came off 99 balls with 14 fours and Indian captain w avers 60.31 in ODIs. Kohli h scored 120 in second ODI.

After Shikhar Dhawan (36) squandered a start, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant showed that he is t learning from his mistakes as he was again guilty of playing a reckless shot, getting a first-ball duck.

In complete contrast, Iyer played smartly and with maturity to raise a crucial 120-run stand with Kohli for fourth wicket, taking team near target.

His kck came off 41 balls with five sixes and three boundaries.    

When he was dismissed, India needed 43 more runs from 40 balls but Kedar Jhav (19 t out) ensured re was twist in tale. He raised an unbeaten 44-run stand for sixth wicket.

Earlier, West Indies reached a healthy 158 for two in 22 overs when rain forced a second interruption and at resumption, contest was reduced to 35-overs-a-side.

Shai Hope (24) and Shimron Hetmyer (25) resumed innings but y did t last long with Mohammed Shami dismissing latter and Ravindra Jeja cleaning up former.

Nicholas Pooran played a whirlwind 16-ball 30-run kck to take hosts past 200-run mark. left-hander smartly handled Indian spinners, launching Jeja and Yuzvendra Chahal for massive sixes.

Shami struck again by sending back Pooran, who chipped a full-length delivery straight to Mainsh Pandey. Carlos Brathwaite ded 16 runs with a six and a four. 

Gayle came out with a clear plan to attack Indian bowlers, making most of what seemed his last international performance.

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Wher it was Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shami or Khaleel Ahmed (3/68) Indian pacer was spared with Gayle hammering m for sixes with remarkable ease.

Spinner Chahal was only bowler who commanded some respect from West Indian marauder.

left-handed opener -- self proclaimed Universe boss -- punished Indian bowlers with five sixes and eight shots to fence in his entertaining kck.

He ded 115 runs with fellow opener Evin Lewis, who was equally impressive with his 29-ball 43 which was laced with five fours and three sixes.

It was Chahal who brought some relief for Indian camp by dismissing Lewis and soon Gayle too departed by hitting one straight to rival captain Virat Kohli at mid-off.

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