Rohit, Rahul and Kuldeep sparkle in India's series-levelling win

Rohit Sharma (159) and KL Rahul (102) had passed 30 as an opening pair three times previously and went on to register a century stand on each occasion. Wednesday (December 18) in Vizag was different only in that they doubled their dosage meted, each scoring hundreds in a mammoth 227-run partnership. That followed by a manic finishing act by Rishabh Pant (39 off 16) and Shreyas Iyer (53 off 31) allowed India to post a staggering 387/5, a total they defended with relative ease thanks in part to Kuldeep Yadav's second ODI hat-trick.

At the surface, the series could seem deprived of a context, but if you were paying close attention, India had a few statistics gnawing at them heading into this must-win contset. For one, West Indies haven't beaten India in an ODI series for 13 years. India themselves haven't dropped two ODI series at home in a calendar year since 1987. It was in that context that the hosts, trailing 0-1, were sent in to bat by Kieron Pollard, fully aware that target setting was the lesser of India's white-ball strengths.

The toss may have gone against them for a second match running, but unlike Chennai, the Vizag pitch was an ally to Rohit and Rahul with its true bounce and no lateral movement on offer. True to his 50-over batting doctrine, Rohit let Rahul to do the early running. The latter found his range almost immediately, driving on the up through the off-side. Sheldon Cottrell, anticipating a big pay day at the IPL auction tomorrow, endured a strangely iffy start bowling too short or too wide at Rahul allowing the opener to carve him through the off side. Cottrell even appeared to be bothered by a headache and had to be taken off the attack earlier. He'd finish with figures of 2 for 83.

It didn't help West Indies' cause that the spinner - debutant Khary Pierre - replacing Cottrell didn't find any grip off the surface. He induced a top-edged sweep from Rahul, but once that fell in no man's land, the opener breezed to a 46-ball half-century, setting himself up for the long haul.

While Rahul went hard, Rohit helped himself to singles and the occasional boundary that the pitch and the bowling accorded him. In contrast, Rohit scored his 50 off only his 67th delivery and was even reprieved - on 70 - shortly following a failed attempt at a slog sweep off Roston Chase. But once Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder combined to misjudge the offering, Rohit buckled down to drive his proverbial sword through the opposition. His second fifty came off just 40 balls and the third took only 25. In all he hit 17 fours and five sixes after racing past his opening partner to reach his hundred - his 28th in the format and seventh this year.

Rahul was mature in acknowledging the change in dynamics and eased himself to a hundred but fell for 102 attempting to lead the final flourish. Virat Kohli walked in to a rousing ovation but was taken out by a slower bouncer for a golden duck. But that didn't affect India's finishing one bit. That they got 127 from the final 10 overs was down to two other blinders from Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant. The latter plundered 24 off a Cottrell over while Iyer tore into Roston Chase, hitting the spinner for 31 - a record for India in ODIs - in the following over to race to a half-century.

To chase this score down, West Indies would need an encore of their Chennai chase but the target of 388 ensured Shai Hope couldn't be ease himself to a century at strike-rate of 70. That meant risk would be taken and consequently chances would be offered. Hope, in fact, could have been in the shed in the first over for 0 but KL Rahul juggled and then dropped a catch at second slip, allowing Hope and the fit-again Evin Lewis (in for Ambris) to add 61 for the opening wicket at a steady pace.

Unlike in Chennai, India were playing five frontline bowlers and it showed in the way Kohli could maneuver them. One such change saw Shardul Thakur (in for Shivam Dube) take out Lewis. Centurion from the last game, Shimron Hetmyer, was run-out by a terrific piece of athleticism from Shreyas Iyer while Ravindra Jadeja cleaned up Chase.

However their recent habit of fielding bumbles stretched uncomfortably for another game when Deepak Chahar put down a regulation catch at long-off to repreive Nicholas Pooran. The southpaw, then batting on 22 off 21, suddenly exploded to life, plundering six sixes and as many fours to race to a 33-ball 50. He and Hope put on 106 in a little more than 13 overs, allowing the visitors to dream of an unlikely chase.

But no sooner had thoughts of taking the game deep took shape than Shami returned to nip them in the bud. He bounced out Pooran for a 47-ball 75 and then proceeded to take out Pollard for a first-ball duck. Kuldeep then got into the act completing his second ODI hat-trick by removing Hope (78 off 85), Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph. In a span of 23 balls, West Indies lost 5 for 18 and but for a late half-century stand between Pierre and Keemo Paul (46*), the victory margin would have been greater than the 107 it eventually was.

Brief scores: India 387/5 in 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 159, KL Rahul 102; Sheldon Cottrell 2-83) beat West Indies 280 in 43.3 overs (Shai Hope 78, Nicholas Pooran 75; Mohammed Shami 3-39, Kuldeep Yadav 3-52) by 107 runs.