Virender Sehwag hits record one-day international score

Sehwag's previous best one-day score was 175

Virender Sehwag smashed 219 from 149 balls to break the record for the highest one-day international score as India thrashed West Indies by 153 runs.

His team-mate Sachin Tendulkar, rested from this series, previously held the record after hitting an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010.

Sehwag, 33, dropped on 170, hit seven sixes and 25 fours in an India record one-day total of 418-5.

India dismissed the visitors for 265 in Indore to seal a series-clinching win.

Sehwag, captaining the side with Mahendra Dhoni rested, said: "I was cheering for Sachin when he got his double hundred and it's great to break his record.

"I think everyone was expecting me to get 200 but I was not expecting it."

Sehwag, dropped badly by rival captain Darren Sammy as he honed in on the landmark, broke Tendulkar's record in the 44th over with a boundary steered through point off Andre Russell.

The opener was finally dismissed in the 47th over when substitute fielder Anthony Martin held a catch at long-off, from the bowling of Kieron Pollard.

It was the right-hander's 15th one-day international century and during his innings he passed 8,000 ODI runs.

"It was a true batting wicket and when I was hitting the ball into the gaps, it was going for four," added Sehwag.

"I was playing my shots throughout the innings, but I started thinking about 200 in the batting powerplay, and when Sammy dropped the catch I thought 'God is with me'."

Sammy said: "Sehwag has destroyed bowlers all over the world. We bowled some good balls but he played better shots."

Sehwag's innings helped India to their fourth 400-plus total, their highest ever and the joint-fourth highest in all.

The right-hander's best score in his 239 previous one-dayers was 175 - while his 219 has only previously been bettered twice in any limited-overs cricket.

Surrey's Ali Brown hit 268 in a domestic C&G Trophy game against Glamorgan at The Oval in 2002, while former South Africa star Graeme Pollock struck an unbeaten 222 for Eastern Province in 1974.

England batsman Kevin Pietersen had earlier tweeted: "If you are a cricket fan, pls switch your TVs on right now & watch a genius bat. Sehwag destroying the WI. World record coming."

Debutant leg-spinner Rahul Sharma picked up three wickets in his first three overs as the tourists struggled in reply, despite a defiant 96 from wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Ramdin put on 64 for the last wicket with Sunil Narine (27 not out) before he was caught in the deep attempting to reach his maiden one-day century.

Chennai hosts the fifth and final one-dayer on Sunday.