Virender Sehwag blazed to a career-best 146 to steer India to their highest one-day total of 414 for seven in the opening game against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Rajkot, India, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009.
The opener hit his 12th one-day hundred off 66 deliveries and smashed 17 fours and six sixes to leave Sri Lanka gasping after skipper Kumar Sangakkara put India into bat hoping to exploit early life on the pitch.
Sehwag, 31, looked good to surpass the one-day record score of 194 until he edged a full toss from paceman Chanaka Welegedara to be caught at point in the 36th over.
He dominated a 153-run first wicket partnership with Sachin Tendulkar (69) and added 156 for the second with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to demoralise the bowling attack.
Dhoni hit 72 with seven fours and three sixes after promoting himself to number three but was caught in the next over after Sehwag’s dismissal to give the visitors some respite.
The total bettered India’s record of 413-5 set against Bermuda at Port of Spain in the 2007 World Cup. It is also the highest notched against Sri Lanka, surpassing the 373 India made in the 1999 World Cup. At 311 for three in the 37th over, India looked set to surpass Sri Lanka’s ODI record of 443, but were checked by some tighter bowling.
Sehwag, whose previous highest one-day score was 130, raced to 50 off just 34 deliveries before easing off slightly as Tendulkar took over with a flurry of shots.
The record-breaking batsman notched his 92nd one-day fifty until he missed the line to be bowled by Fernando. Pace bowlers Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedara and Dilhara Fernando took two wickets each.
Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh missed out due to finger injuries.
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