A packed stadium bore witness to a series of remarkable batting feats on Wednesday, with Shubman Gill stealing the spotlight by compiling an unbeaten 223 off just 133 deliveries, guiding India to an eight‑wicket victory over the West Indies in the second One‑Day International of the series. Gill's innings not only marked his personal best in ODIs but also set a new benchmark for the highest individual score in a successful run chase. It was his eleventh century in the format, and one of five hundreds recorded on the day, as India piled up 406 for 2 in 43.3 overs, securing a 2‑0 lead in the three‑match series.
Opening partner Rohit Sharma contributed a solid 101, and together the pair forged a 255‑run opening stand off 158 balls – the second‑largest opening partnership for India in ODI history. Their partnership was only eclipsed by the 258‑run opening stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly against Kenya in 2001. India's chase of 406 runs was only the second successful 400‑plus chase in ODI history, following South Africa's record 438‑9 against Australia in 2006.
The target was reached with 6.3 overs to spare, establishing a new Indian record for the highest chase; the previous best had been 362‑1 against Australia in Jaipur in 2013. Gill's knock was a masterclass in pacing.
After reaching his half‑century in just 24 balls, he accelerated to a century in 62 deliveries and eventually crossed the double‑hundred mark in 117 balls, making it the fastest double century ever recorded in ODIs. This performance also surpassed Glenn Maxwell's 201 against Afghanistan in 2023 to become the highest individual score in a chase, and it ranks as the third‑highest individual score in any ODI innings.
Sharma, on his part, notched his 35th ODI century, reaching 101 off 72 balls before falling to an LBW caught by Jayden Seales in the 27th over. Their opening partnership of 255 runs now sits just behind the legendary 258‑run stand by Tendulkar and Ganguly, underscoring the potency of India's top order.
The West Indies, despite posting a massive 405‑7, could not withstand the onslaught. Their innings featured a historic moment: three of their batsmen – Amir Jangoo (114), captain Shai Hope (104), and opener John Campbell (101 off 68 balls) – each scored a century. This was the first occasion in ODI history where three players from the same side notched centuries in a single innings. Campbell set an aggressive tone, striking five sixes and nine fours, and his rapid hundred came off just 65 balls, propelling the West Indies to 96‑1 after the powerplay.
Hope and Jangoo built on that platform, with Hope adding his 20th ODI century and Jangoo, who had already made a half‑century in the first match, delivering a second hundred off 70 balls, including three sixes and 13 fours. The West Indies managed to score 76 runs in the final ten overs, but the total of 405 remained just short of the record‑breaking chase.
The match marked the first time five centuries were scored in a single ODI, a feat previously unseen. It also represented the 11th instance of a side achieving three centuries in an ODI, but uniquely, it was the first such occasion that ended in defeat for the team with the triple centuries. After the thrilling contest in Chandigarh, the series will conclude with the final ODI scheduled for Saturday, also in Chandigarh. India had already secured the first game, winning by seven wickets in Thiruvananthapuram.
In other news, Australia avoided a clean 3‑0 sweep by South Africa in their own series, clinching a rain‑affected third ODI by 45 runs via the DLS method. South Africa, having already secured the series with wins in Durban and Johannesburg, were 145‑4 after 28 overs when rain halted play at 9:30 pm local time. Earlier in that match, Australia posted 322‑9, anchored by captain Mitchell Marsh's third consecutive fifty and Alex Carey's aggressive 74 off 88 balls.
Fast bowler Xavier Bartlett made early inroads with the new ball, while leg‑spinner Adam Zampa kept a tight line, each taking two wickets. South Africa's Corbin Bosch attempted a late‑innings resurgence, claiming the wickets of Carey and Cameron Green, but the effort fell short. All‑rounder Bosch finished with figures of 4‑60, while Gerald Coetzee and Lizaad Williams each contributed two wickets. Reflecting on his monumental innings, Gill described the conditions: "It was a hot and humid day.
With 400 on the board, there was pressure at the start and then at the halfway mark. I am very pleased I could stay till the end and finish this innings. I try to break my innings into smaller parts. Once we scored 200‑odd before 25 overs, the pressure was on them."