India's Virender Sehwag registered the highest individual score in the 50-over format with 219 in a big fourth one-day international win over West Indies at Indore that gave the hosts a series win with one match to play.
Playing his 240th one-day international, the burly batsman surpassed the previous record by compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with a brilliant and belligerent innings that helped India to a 153-run victory.
After leading his team-mates to 418-5 - also record ODI score for India - Sehwag's India bowled West Indies out for 265 in 49.2 overs.
Aside from Denesh Ramdin (96), none of the West Indies batsmen offered any resistance as they folded with four balls to go.
Ravindra Jadeja (3-34) topped India's bowling charts while Rahul Sharma (3-43) impressed on his debut.
India have therefore taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
But all the talk is about Sehwag's knock, breaking Tendulkar's record of 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior on February 24, 2010.
Sehwag, renowned for his explosive and destructive hitting, had a previous highest ODI score of 175 which came against Bangladesh in their World Cup match in Dhaka back in February.
The opener scored the runs off just 149 balls as he ran amok, smashing deliveries into submission before he was eventually caught at long off by a substitute fielder off the bowling of Kieron Pollard.
The right-handed batsman's feat, however, would not have been possible without a little help from West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, who dropped the Delhi batsman off a Ravi Rampaul delivery in the 38th over when Sehwag had 170 to his name.
Sehwag was captaining India in the absence of the rested Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and became only the second batsman in the world to breach the 200-run mark in one-day cricket.
The 33-year-old from Delhi reached his 200 in 140 balls; the first came in just 69. He smashed an incredible 23 fours and six sixes in the innings.
Amid the excitement, it almost went unnoticed that Sehwag also passed 8,000 ODI runs during the knock, which left the crowd ecstatic at the Holkar Cricket Stadium.
The world champions eventually posted a mammoth total of 418 after an opening partnership of 176 which only ended because Sehwag ran out partner Gautam Gambhir for 67.
India had led the series 2-1 after having recorded victories at Cuttack and Visakhapatnam before West Indies clinched a 16-run win at Ahmedabad.
Highest one-day international innings
Virender Sehwag (India) 219 - Vs West Indies (Indore, 2011)
Sachin Tendulkar (India) 200* - Vs South Africa (Gwalior, 2010)
Charles Coventry (Zimbabwe) 194* - Vs Bangladesh (Bulawayo, 2009)
Saeed Anwar (Pakistan) 194 - Vs India (Chennai, 1997)
Viv Richards (West Indies) 189* - Vs England (Manchester, 1984)
Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 189 - Vs India (Sharjah, 2000)
Gary Kirsten (South Africa) 188* - Vs UAE (Rawalpindi, 1996)
Playing his 240th one-day international, the burly batsman surpassed the previous record by compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with a brilliant and belligerent innings that helped India to a 153-run victory.
After leading his team-mates to 418-5 - also record ODI score for India - Sehwag's India bowled West Indies out for 265 in 49.2 overs.
Aside from Denesh Ramdin (96), none of the West Indies batsmen offered any resistance as they folded with four balls to go.
Ravindra Jadeja (3-34) topped India's bowling charts while Rahul Sharma (3-43) impressed on his debut.
India have therefore taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
But all the talk is about Sehwag's knock, breaking Tendulkar's record of 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior on February 24, 2010.
Sehwag, renowned for his explosive and destructive hitting, had a previous highest ODI score of 175 which came against Bangladesh in their World Cup match in Dhaka back in February.
The opener scored the runs off just 149 balls as he ran amok, smashing deliveries into submission before he was eventually caught at long off by a substitute fielder off the bowling of Kieron Pollard.
The right-handed batsman's feat, however, would not have been possible without a little help from West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, who dropped the Delhi batsman off a Ravi Rampaul delivery in the 38th over when Sehwag had 170 to his name.
Sehwag was captaining India in the absence of the rested Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and became only the second batsman in the world to breach the 200-run mark in one-day cricket.
The 33-year-old from Delhi reached his 200 in 140 balls; the first came in just 69. He smashed an incredible 23 fours and six sixes in the innings.
Amid the excitement, it almost went unnoticed that Sehwag also passed 8,000 ODI runs during the knock, which left the crowd ecstatic at the Holkar Cricket Stadium.
The world champions eventually posted a mammoth total of 418 after an opening partnership of 176 which only ended because Sehwag ran out partner Gautam Gambhir for 67.
India had led the series 2-1 after having recorded victories at Cuttack and Visakhapatnam before West Indies clinched a 16-run win at Ahmedabad.
Highest one-day international innings
Virender Sehwag (India) 219 - Vs West Indies (Indore, 2011)
Sachin Tendulkar (India) 200* - Vs South Africa (Gwalior, 2010)
Charles Coventry (Zimbabwe) 194* - Vs Bangladesh (Bulawayo, 2009)
Saeed Anwar (Pakistan) 194 - Vs India (Chennai, 1997)
Viv Richards (West Indies) 189* - Vs England (Manchester, 1984)
Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 189 - Vs India (Sharjah, 2000)
Gary Kirsten (South Africa) 188* - Vs UAE (Rawalpindi, 1996)
