Sehwag Powers India to Highest total

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.

Yuvraj spurs India to victory

Birthday boy Yuvraj Singh gave a stunning all-round display to spur India to a record six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second and final Twenty20 international on Saturday.

India's Yuvraj Singh, left, reacts as he returns to the pavilion with teammate Dinesh Karthik after India won the second Twenty20 cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Mohali, India.

India reached the highest chasing total, amassing 211 for four in 19.1 overs after Sri Lanka had made a daunting 206 for seven. The series was drawn 1-1.

Yuvraj, who turned 28 on Saturday, smashed a 25-ball 60 not out after he had grabbed three for 23 bowling left-arm spin on his home ground.

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara top-scored for the second game in a row, making 59 off 31 balls as a sloppy India dropped five catches.

Sangakkara hammered eight fours and two sixes after stroking a match-winning 78 in the opening game in Nagpur on Wednesday.

Sehwag hit 64 off 35 balls and added 58 runs with fellow opener Gautam Gambhir (21) and 50 for the next wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (46).

Yuvraj took over, adding 80 runs with Dhoni for the third wicket, hammering five sixes and three fours, and finishing off with a six.

India surpassed the 208 for two South Africa made while beating West Indies at Johannesburg in 2007.

The teams play a five-match one-day series from Tuesday.

India in Command

Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid both helped themselves to half-centuries on Thursday as India closed in on New Zealand’s first innings total on the second day of the opening test in Hamilton.

Gambhir struck a patient 72 while a composed Dravid made 66 to guide the tourists to 197 for three at tea in reply to New Zealand’s first day total of 279.

When the second session ended, India were just 82 runs behind with Sachin Tendulkar unbeaten on 25 and Vangipurappu Laxman not out four.

Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar

New Zealand had made a bright start to the day when they dismissed dangerous opener Virender Sehwag at the start of the morning session, which was delayed by 15 minutes because of overnight rain.

Sehwag had added just two runs to his overnight score of 22 when he was run out at the non-striker’s end by a direct hit from James Franklin.

But India, who had resumed on 29-0, dominated the rest of the morning on a placid Seddon Park pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.

For complete news visit:www.octansports.com/cricket/cricket-news/2218/India-in-Command-at-Seddon-Park.htm

India On Top in Hamilton

Daniel Vettori and Jesse Ryder both struck centuries to lead a New Zealand fight back in the first test against India at Hamilton on Wednesday.

Vettori completed his third test hundred with a superb captain’s knock of 118 while Ryder registered his maiden test ton with 102 to rescue New Zealand from a disastrous start and post 279 on the opening day at Seddon Park.

daniel-vettori

India, in reply, were 29 without loss in their first innings at stumps at the
end of an absorbing day with Virender Sehwag unbeaten on 22 and Gautam
Gambhir not out six.

India have not won a test series in New Zealandfor more than 40 years but thrashed the Kiwis in the one-dayers and could hardly have made a better start to the first of three tests.

virender-sehwag

The tourists would have been in an even better position had Vettori and
Ryder not batted through the entire middle session, adding 186 for the
seventh wicket after India’s fast bowlers had demolished the New
Zealand top order.

Ishant Sharma captured three wickets in a devastating spell before lunch then polished off the innings when he dismissed last-man-out Ryder after tea.

Munaf Patel bagged three wickets, including Vettori then Kyle Mills for a golden duck to be on a hat-trick, while Zaheer Khan triggered the top-order collapse with two early wickets to vindicate Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to field.

For complete News Visit : www.octansports.com/cricket/cricket-news/2198/India-On-Top-in-Hamilton-.htm

India Win by 53 Runs in McLean Park

India won the rain curtailed first ODI in Napier against New Zealand on Tuesday, after racing to 4-273 in their allotted 38 overs – thanks to blistering half centuries by Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

virender-sehwag

New Zealand scored 9-169 in reply after a second rain halt reduced their innings to 28 overs and they finally fell 53-runs short of the revised target.

Loosing both openers cheaply, 58-run partnership between Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor returned some hope to the Kiwi camp, but when Yousuf Pathan got rid of Taylor (34), and Elliot Grant becoming victim of Yuvraj Singh’s superb fielding, last hopes of recovery became more grim as weather over the McLean Park. 

Dhoni top scored for India with a well crafted 84 not out from 89 balls.

For complete News Visit:www.octansports.com/cricket/cricket-news/1749/India-Win-by-53-Runs-in-McLean-Park.htm