Aggressive centuries by openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul set the stage for India's 387 for five in the second one-day international against the West Indies on Wednesday. The opening pair put on 227 runs as India piled up a formidable total after being put into bat in Visakhapatnam. Sharma led the onslaught with 159 off 138 balls, while Rahul made 102 in a must-win game for the hosts who trail the three-match series 1-0 following their loss on Sunday. Shreyas Iyer tore into the West Indies attack with a 32-ball 53 as he hit Roston Chase for 31 runs — including four sixes and one four — in the 47th over. His partnerships including a 73-run fourth-wicket stand with wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who hit 39 off 16 deliveries. Sharma, who was dropped on 70 when Shimron Hetmyer spilled a skier off Chase, was slow out of the blocks but got into his stride after reaching 50 off 67 deliveries. The attacking batsman soon overtook his partner, who had raised his fifty in 46 balls, and went on to complete his 28th ODI hundred amid loud cheers from a capacity crowd. Rahul recorded his third ODI hundred with a boundary off Alzarri Joseph, but lost his wicket to the paceman four balls later when mistiming a shot to third man. Skipper Virat Kohli had a rare flop as he fell for a first-ball duck, giving away a simple catch to mid-wicket off his opposite number Kieron Pollard. Sharma, the only ODI batsman to score three double centuries, was unstoppable as he took apart the West Indies bowling with 17 fours and five sixes. Nicknamed the Hitman, he Sharma registered his eighth score of 150 plus before edging an incoming delivery from paceman Sheldon Cottrell to wicketkeeper Shai Hope. Iyer and Pant then got going as India managed 79 runs from the final five overs. fk/fox
