Martin Guptill Played Copybook Cricket for 50 overs; How Did he do That? Wonders Rahul Dravid

Martin Guptill did not play a single fancy stroke in his epic 237 not out in Wellington on Saturday. His innings was studded with 24 boundaries and 11 sixes and it is surprising that the New Zealand opener built the entire innings with classical strokes. (Full Coverage)

Guptill's 100 came off 111 balls. When he walked back to the pavilion unbeaten on 237, he played just another 52 more. With a strike rate of nearly 146, Guptill smashed the West Indies bowlers to smithereens. Curtly Ambrose must have been hiding in the dressing room. Brain Lara called the Caribbean attack the "rubbish" of world cricket. (Guptill Calm About Ease of Kiwi Win Over Windies)

West Indies cricket has clearly lost its charm. Nowadays, men like Dravid, who grew up watching a Lloyd, Richards and Greenidge, don't talk much about the quality of West Indies cricket. They surely remain unpredictable, but that's more to do with their standard of cricket. To concede 393 runs in a World Cup quarterfinal speaks eloquently about the lack of teeth in the Caribbean bowling. Dravid, the quintessential purist that he was, is happier talking about Guptill on STAR Sports. (Job's Not Over Yet, says Guptill)

"No fancy stroke in 50 overs. He didn't try anything cheeky on a good wicket. Just used his power to play clean strokes. Really amazing knock," Dravid said. Guptill shifted gears after the 35th over. "Oh, it was like watching a highlights package on TV... felt sorry for the bowlers," Dravid added.

Guptill scored 162 runs from fours (24) and sixes (11). This in itself is a World Cup record. Rohit Sharma had scored 186 runs via 33 fours and nine sixes. Guptill smashed several records too and the fact that his cricket was dictated by the grammar of game is superb.

Guptill is the first New Zealander and the second batsman to post a double hundred in World Cups. Chris Gayle -- 215 off 137 balls vs Zimbabwe at Canberra on February 24, 2015 -- was the first. Guptill's innings of 237 not out off 163 balls is the highest by any batsman in a World Cup game.

"He constructed his innings very well. It was a controlled innings and then there was a brilliant finish. It was a complete masterclass," said Aussie great Mike Hussey. "He worked hard for the first part of his innings and the bowlers had little margin for error against him," Hussey explained.

This knock will give Guptill a lot of confidence ahead of the semifinal versus South Africa in Auckland on March 24. But Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel will be better than the profligate West Indians, who had no stomach for a fight.

Other statistical highlights of Guptill innings:

# In all, Guptill has managed two hundreds and three fifties in World Cups in 15 innings.

# Guptill's tally of 24 fours is a World Cup record, surpassing Tillakaratne Dilshan's tally of 22 fours, during his 161 not out off 146 balls vs Bangladesh at Melbourne on February 26, 2015.

# Guptill hit 11 sixes during his innings - the second highest by any batsman in World Cups. Gayle had recorded 16 sixes during his World Cup double hundred vs Zimbabwe at Canberra on February 24, 2015.

# Guptill's tally of 35 boundaries (24 fours and 11 sixes) is a World Cup record. Only Rohit Sharma has posted  more boundaries -- 42 (33 fours and nine sixes) in an ODI innings.

# Guptill is the second New Zealand batsman to hit two hundreds in a World Cup edition, the first being Glenn Turner in 1975.  Turner had scored 171 not out vs East Africa at Birmingham on June 7, 1975 and 114 not out vs India at Manchester on June 14, 1975.

# Guptill and Turner are the only two New Zealand batsmen to have posted 150-plus scores in World Cups.

# Guptill is the first New Zealand batsman to post back to back centuries in the World Cups.

# Guptill is the first New Zealand batsman to manage 400 runs in this World Cup apart from averaging fifty-plus.

# Guptill's seventh hundred in ODIs is his second vs West Indies. His first hundred against West Indies was 122 not out at Auckland on January 10, 2009.

# Guptill has registered four hundreds in New Zealand in ODIs - two at Auckland and one each at Wellington and Hamilton.

# Guptill's superb innings is the highest by any batsman in the knock-out tournament in World Cups, eclipsing the 149 off 104 balls by Adam Gilchrist in the World Cup final vs Sri Lanka a Bridgetown on April 28, 2007.

# Chris Harris is the only other New Zealand batsman to hit a World Cup hundred in knock-out games -- 130 vs Australia at Chennai on March 11, 1996 (quarterfinal).

# Guptill's aggregate of 498 (ave.83.00) in seven matches is his best World Cup performance, outstripping the 262 (ave.43.66) in eight matches in 2010-11.

# Guptill is the third New Zealand batsman to manage 400 runs or more in a World Cup edition, joining Scott Styris - 499 (ave.83.16) in ten matches in 2006-07 and Martin Crowe - 456 (ave.114.00) in nine matches in 1991-92.

# Guptill has got his ninth Man of the Match award in ODIs - his third in World Cups.  He has received one Man of the Match award each against West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in World Cups.

(With inputs from Rajesh Kumar)