West Indies vs India: Ajinkya Rahane equals Sachin Tendulkar's record
Ajinkya Rahane has now become the sixth Indian to get to four half-centuries in a bilateral ODI series.
North Sound: Indian opener Ajinkya Rahane has had a successful West Indies series so far.
Having been promoted to the top by captain Virat Kohli due to the absence of Rohit Sharma, the 29-year-old right-handed batsman proved to be influential for Team India, as he has scored fifties in each match, including a century (103) in the second ODI.
As a result, the Mumbaikar became just the third Indian opener to notch up four consecutive 50+ scores, after Sachin Tendulkar and Manoj Prabhakar.
Adding to this record, Rahane has now become the sixth Indian to get to four half-centuries in a bilateral ODI series.
Before him, it was Virat Kohli, who achieved the feat during India’s tour of Australia last year. If he scores yet another half century, he will become the first Indian to score five 50+ scores in an ODI series.
The Mumbai batsman also joins the club of posting most 50+ scores in an ODI series in the Caribbean.The list includes greats like Desmond Haynes and Lendl Simmons of West Indies, Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan among others. Rahane becomes the latest to join the list.
The story does not end there. Ajinkya Rahane will look to cross the 300-run mark in the series. With 297 runs in the series, Rahane has become India’s top run-getter in an ODI series, surpassing Rohit Sharma’s total of 257 during India’s tour of West Indies in 2011.
India will look to clinch the series 3-1 when the two teams face-off in the final ODI on Thursday at Jamaica.
Openers with most consecutive 50+ scores in ODIs
Sachin Tendulkar, November, 1994: 5
Manoj Prabhakar, October 1994-April1995: 4
Sachin Tendulkar, February-March 2003:4
Sachin Tendulkar, February 1996-March 1996:4
Ajinkya Rahane, June 2017-July 2017:4