India vs West Indies 2nd ODI produced one of the wildest batting displays of the 2026 ODI season, but the defining moment arrived long before Shubman Gill reached his second double century. Rohit Sharma and Gill put together a 255-run opening partnership that removed almost two-thirds of West Indies’ 406-run target before India lost its first wicket. India eventually reached 406/2 in 43.3 overs, with Gill unbeaten on 223 and Rohit contributing 101 off 75 balls, sealing India’s ODI series victory with a 2-0 lead.
The West Indies had already produced an extraordinary first innings, reaching 405/7 from 50 overs after centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo. The target looked enormous even on a batting-friendly surface in Guwahati, especially after West Indies had attacked India’s bowling across the afternoon. India’s response changed the entire context of the game because the required rate never became a sustained problem once the opening pair settled in.
The 255-run opening stand was the tactical foundation of India’s chase. Rohit and Gill scored 255 from 158 balls, meaning India had already crossed the halfway point of the target before a wicket fell at 26.2 overs. West Indies needed early breakthroughs to create pressure, but the opening pair gave the bowlers almost no opportunity to build that pressure.
Rohit supplied 101 from 75 balls, while Gill contributed 145 of the partnership before Rohit was dismissed. The distribution mattered because the pair did not rely on one batter simply anchoring the innings while the other attacked. Both batters maintained a scoring rate that kept the required rate under control and forced West Indies to defend rather than dictate terms.
The importance of the partnership becomes even clearer from the chase equation. India needed 151 more runs after Rohit fell, but Gill remained at the crease with Virat Kohli before adding another 86 with Ruturaj Gaikwad. The opening stand did not finish the chase by itself, but the 255-run platform transformed a 400-plus target into a relatively straightforward finish.
Rohit Sharma’s century was more than a milestone in a remarkable chase. The opener reached 101 from 75 balls with 10 fours and six sixes, reaching his 35th ODI century and producing the kind of high-tempo innings required to prevent a 406-run target from becoming mentally overwhelming. Rohit’s experience also allowed India to maintain aggression without losing control during the most important phase of the chase.
Rohit later explained that the pitch was good for batting and that India knew the top order had to produce big runs. The former captain also highlighted the value of the partnership with Gill, saying the pair simply kept building rather than becoming obsessed with the scoreboard. That approach fitted the situation perfectly because regular boundaries prevented West Indies from creating a defensive grip through dot-ball pressure.
Rohit’s innings also took him beyond 12,000 ODI runs, adding another career milestone to an already memorable night. The achievement, though significant, became secondary once Gill continued batting deep into the chase.
Shubman Gill’s 223 not out was the spectacular headline, but the batting plan behind the innings deserves equal attention. Gill explained after the match that India identified one side of the ground as particularly short and planned to target that boundary when the fast bowlers returned. The tactical detail helps explain why India maintained such a high scoring rate without relying entirely on low-percentage hitting.
Gill also described the chase as a sequence of smaller targets rather than one enormous 406-run equation. India wanted roughly 75-80 runs in the powerplay, expected the pitch to improve as the ball aged, and targeted around 200-210 by the 25-over mark. The actual position was even stronger, with India reaching 250 and losing no wickets through the halfway stage.
The result was a 223 not out from 133 balls, including 26 fours and eight sixes. Gill’s innings became the highest individual score in a successful List A chase, while India’s 406 represented the second-highest successful chase in ODI history.
India’s first wicket falling at 255 tells the story better than the final margin of victory. West Indies had no opportunity to exploit an early mistake because Rohit and Gill survived the opening phase, controlled the strike and kept the scoreboard moving. By the time Jayden Seales removed Rohit, India required only 151 from 142 balls.
That equation illustrates why the 255 partnership mattered more than Gill’s final 223, despite it being the record-setting individual performance. A 406 target normally creates pressure because two or three wickets can fall before the chase settles. India removed that danger almost completely by preserving the opening pair until more than half the target had been scored.
West Indies captain Shai Hope acknowledged the same problem after the match. Hope said the margin for error became extremely small against elite batters and pointed specifically to the difficulty of giving India such a strong start while defending 400. The assessment underlined how quickly the opening partnership had shifted the pressure onto the bowling side.
West Indies’ 405/7 would normally provide enough scoreboard pressure to force a chasing team into calculated risk. Three West Indies batters reached centuries, with Campbell making 101, Hope scoring 104 and Amir Jangoo adding 114. India’s bowlers ultimately limited the damage late in the innings, but the total remained imposing.
The biggest problem emerged during India’s powerplay, when Rohit and Gill took 92 runs without losing a wicket. West Indies entered the chase needing early wickets, but the opening pair instead created an aggressive rhythm that the bowlers struggled to disrupt. Alzarri Joseph went for 89 from eight overs, while Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph were the only West Indies bowlers to take wickets.
The contrast between the two innings was therefore not simply about batting quality. West Indies needed nearly 50 overs to build 405, while India reached 406 in only 43.3 overs. The 255-run opening partnership was the point where the contest stopped looking like a huge chase and started looking like an Indian batting exhibition.
India’s chase succeeded because the opening partnership attacked the problem in stages. Rohit and Gill survived the new ball, attacked the short boundary, kept the scoreboard moving and refused to allow West Indies a sequence of quiet overs. The strategy meant India could afford to lose Rohit at 255 and still finish comfortably with more than six overs remaining.
The final numbers make the dominance difficult to overstate. India scored 406/2 at a run rate of 9.33, finished with 39 balls to spare and lost only two wickets during the entire chase. Gill remained unbeaten through the finish, while his partnerships with Rohit, Kohli and Gaikwad accounted for every one of India’s 406 runs through formal batting partnerships.
The match also became only the second successful chase of a 400-plus target in ODI history, behind South Africa’s famous pursuit of 438 against Australia in 2006. India’s victory therefore belonged to a very small group of ODI run chases, but the 255-run opening stand performed its clearest tactical identity.
How many total runs were scored in India vs West Indies 2nd ODI?
A total of 811 runs were scored in the India vs West Indies 2nd ODI. West Indies posted 405/7 in their 50 overs before India chased the target with 406/2 in 43.3 overs.
How many runs did Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill add?
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 255 runs for the first wicket in the India vs West Indies 2nd ODI. The partnership lasted 158 balls and ended when Rohit was dismissed for 101 at 26.2 overs. India were already 255/1 at that point, leaving only 151 runs to win.
How many runs did Shubman Gill score?
Shubman Gill finished unbeaten on 223 from 133 balls. The innings contained 26 fours and eight sixes and became the highest individual score in a successful List A chase. Gill’s 223 was also the second double century of his ODI career.
Did India win the ODI series against West Indies?
Yes, India won the three-match ODI series against West Indies after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. India won the first ODI by eight wickets in Thiruvananthapuram before completing another eight-wicket victory in the second ODI in Guwahati.
The 406-run chase will be remembered for Gill’s extraordinary 223 not out and Rohit Sharma’s century, but the 255-run opening partnership was the moment that broke the game open. Rohit and Gill removed almost two-thirds of the target before West Indies could take a second breath, leaving the remainder of the chase as a controlled exercise rather than a desperate pursuit. The partnership combined power, planning and experience at exactly the point India needed all three.
Gill’s short-boundary strategy, Rohit’s aggression and the decision to think in smaller targets turned an intimidating equation into a manageable one. West Indies created the perfect platform with 405, yet India’s openers made that total look insufficient within 26.2 overs. The final score may belong in the record books, but the 255-run stand was the real reason India got there.
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