Rohit Sharma makes history with third ODI double century as India put Sri Lanka to the sword

India batsman Rohit Sharma has scored his third ODI double century - all the more remarkable considering no other batsman in the world has more than one.

In the second one-day international against Sri Lanka - which India need to win to keep the three-game series alive - Sharma took the visitor's bowling attack apart, posting an unbeaten 208 off just 153 balls in India's team total of 392-4.

It was an incredible example of power hitting in perfect batting conditions. In fact, so frenetic was the pace of the final third of Rohit's innings, he scored more than half of his unbeaten double ton in the last 10 overs.

And nobody is likely to come close to matching his three triple centuries in a hurry. Martin Guptill (237*), VirenderSehwag (219), Chris Gayle (215) and Sachin Tendulkar (200*) are the only other batsmen to hit ODI double hundreds.

Still only 30, this was Rohit's 16th ODI century, taking him past Sehwag to fourth place in India's all-time centurion list. Tendulkar (49), Virat Kohli (32) and Sourav Ganguly (22) make up the top three.

It was in November 2013 that Rohit posted his first double ton, blowing away Australia with 209 off 158 balls. A year later, against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, he smashed the highest score in ODI history - 264 off 173 balls.

Shikhar Darwan (68) and Shreyas Iyer (88) also contributed big scores today, but nobody could match Rohit's demolition job. Beleaguered Sri Lankan paceman Nuwan Pradeep even came close to Mick Lewis' record of most runs conceded in an ODI, finishing seven runs short with 10-0-106-0.