Chennai, Feb 16: India put on a champagne batting performance in their final warm-up game against New Zealand at Chennai ahead of the start of the 2011 ICC World Cup. Riding on impressive performances by MS Dhoni (108*) and the spinners, the Indians cruised to a 117-run victory that would have them start their world cup campaign on a high.
Asked to chase a mammoth target of 361, the Kiwis got off to a good start. The first 15 overs saw them score 94 runs, with Martin Guptill’s wicket the only casualty in that period. Brendon McCullum, though, seemed in control of the run chase and brought up his half-century in just 43 balls. However, when he was run out, with the score at 118, NZ’s hopes went with him.
The Indian spinners led by Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla tore through the Kiwi middle order. Jesse Ryder (32) and Ross Taylor (5) fell to Harbhajan, while Chawla accounted for James Franklin (0) and Scott Styris (20). The New Zealand innings finally folded for 243 in 43.1 overs after Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra split the last four Kiwi wickets between them.
Earlier, the Indians opted to bat first after winning the toss. Sachin Tendulkar, who made a return for this warm-up tie, opened the innings with Virender Sehwag and the two gave India a steady start. However, both batsmen (Sachin 17, Sehwag 23) fell within the space of 11 deliveries to hand the momentum back to New Zealand with the score at 42/2 in 9.1 overs.
This set the stage for Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli who milked the New Zealand bowlers from thereon. The 100-run mark was crossed in the 22nd over. However, Kohli got out just a little after he had posted his half-century (59 off 68 balls) and had shared a 106-run stand with Gambhir. Kohli’s departure brought India captain MS Dhoni to the batting crease.
Gambhir, meanwhile, continued to punish the Kiwi attack regularly lofting them to the boundary on either side of the wicket. The Indians brought up the 200-run mark in the 37th over and were all set to post a big total with seven wickets still in hand. Gambhir, though, got out, trying to cut the ball but ended up offering a catch to wicketkeeper Jamie How, with the Indian score at 216 in 38.4 overs. The India number three made 89 (85 balls, 11X4).
Suresh Raina and Dhoni made sure the Indian innings did not draw to a halt following Gambhir’s exit. They carried out a remarkable assault on the Kiwi bowlers with Dhoni reeling off five consecutive fours off Jacob Oram in the 43rd over. Raina, too, joined in the act and hit Oram, in his next over, for three sixes over deep midwicket.
By the time Raina (50 off 26, 4X4, 3X6) fell, with the score at 340, the Kiwis looked distraught. Dhoni brought up his century in just 62 deliveries. His knock of 108*, which included eleven fours and three sixes, propelled India to a winning total of 360/5 in 50 overs.
Brief scores: India360/5 in 50 overs (MS Dhoni 108*, Gautam Gambhir 89, Virat Kohli 59, Suresh Raina 50, Tim Southee 2/67) beat New Zealand 243all out in 43.1 overs (Brendon McCullum 58, Martin Guptill 38, Harbhajan Singh 2/17, Yuvraj Singh 2/33) by 117 runs
