Sehwag takes India into final

By S. Dinakar

COLOMBO, AUG. 2. It was a day when a little man exploded on the `big stage.' And the Kiwis did not quite know what hit them as they were blown away by `Hurricane Sehwag'.

Virender Sehwag, a shy lad from Delhi, conjured the kind of innings that will remain in the realm of `dreams' for most cricketers. At the Sinhalese Stadium Cricket ground here on Thursday, the affable youngster was living that `dream', dismantling the Kiwi attack with a barrage of crisp, clean strokes, and finding the gaps with ridiculous ease. It was a leather hunt the Kiwis will not forget in a hurry, a hundred that put Kiwi opener Nathan Astle's 108 earlier in the day into the shade.

Yes, the 22-year-old Sehwag's 69-ball 100, the seventh fastest three-figure knock in ODIs, was the highlight of India's comprehensive seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the last league encounter of the Coca Cola triangular series.

In pursuit of a demanding 264 in 50 overs, India reached the target in 45.4 overs, Ganguly (103b, 7x4) contributing a valuable 64 and Dravid (57 not out, 55b, 6x4) and Hemang Badani (35 not out, 38b, 3x4, 2x6) steering their team home.

India has now won three matches on-a-trot, scripting a remarkable recovery to enter the final. The team finished with six points from six games while New Zealand managed just four. ``I played my natural game, I played positively,'' were Sehwag's modest words after that sensational effort.

Ganguly was lavish in his praise for the youngster. ``One of the best one-day knocks I have seen''

The ball was coming on to the bat, and Sehwag produced every shot in the book. It was exhilarating stuff from the stocky batsman, who blossomed when the responsibility to open the innings was thrust on him. Starting with a fine cover drive off Kyle Mills, the Delhi batsman took wing in the sixth over, driving, square- cutting, glancing and edging...a rare blemish...the bowler for fours. The onslaught had started.

The 50-run partnership was up in just 54 balls, and India had got off to the right kind of start. Sehwag massacred Tuffey in the eleventh, striking the first four balls for fours-he reached a rollicking half century in just 29 balls by square-cutting the Kiwi-defending the fifth, and lofting the big-built paceman for a stunning six over long on off the last. Sehwag had rattled 22 runs in the over, and had hammered a mind- boggling seven fours and a six in the last nine balls faced.

He greeted left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori with a flat-batted straight hit. For the Kiwis, it was a nightmare on a bright sunny day.

Ganguly, who wisely chose to keep one end up, did produce a few elegant strokes on the off-side, the cover-drive off Vettori standing out for sheer timing. The hundred-run mark was reached in just 14.3 overs.

Sehwag was soon in the 90s, gave a hint of a chance when Parore failed to gather a bouncing delivery from Vettori outside the off-stump with the batsman out of the crease, but soon reached his maiden ODI hundred, pushing the left-arm spinner to point and setting off for a single. His second fifty had consumed 40 balls.

Not much later Sehwag (100, 70b) chopped part-time seamer Craig McMillan on to his stumps, but walked back to a memorable ovation. He had scorched the turf with 19 boundaries, and a booming six. Ganguly's contribution in the 143-run opening stand was just 31.

V.V.S. Laxman made a quick exit, surprised by an off- cutter from McMillan that sneaked through his defence, but the dependable Rahul Dravid produced some pleasing on-drives on this day. Ganguly departed with his score on 64, attempting to sweep Harris and being taken by Fleming.

Badani joined forces with Dravid and the shut the door on the Kiwis with some intelligent batting.

It looked an uphill task

It had seemed so different earlier on. Nathan Astle has the habit of producing big knocks during the crunch games and it was no different at the SSC ground today, when he slammed his 11th ODI hundred, his second of the tournament. A knock sprinkled with fine shots on either side of the wicket.

The Kiwi opener started on the right note, flicking Zaheer Khan to the fence and following that with a searing straight drive, the ball streaking to the fence.

He was by far the dominant partner in an opening stand of 28 when Matthew Sinclair (3), looking out of sorts, flicked Zaheer Khan straight into the hands of Badani near the square-leg umpire.

Skipper Fleming, who had opted to bat, appeared in fine nick from the word go, with elegant, unruffled strokes. The Kiwis reached the 50-run-mark in the fifteenth over.

There was less assistance for the seamers at the SSC wicket, yet Nehra conceded just eight runs in his seven overs. Zaheer though was more expensive going 24 in six.

New Zealand reached its 100 in 25.5 overs and soon the Kiwis changed gears, Astle thumping Sodhi's medium pace over mid- on. The left-handed Fleming was not far behind, straight-driving and cover-driving Ganguly for boundaries.

Astle who reached his half century in 87 balls by turning Sodhi to square-leg, then celebrated the milestone, cover-driving and pulling the medium pacer to the fence. Sodhi could not get his line right, tended to pitch too short, and paid the penalty.

Fleming completed his half century in 76 balls (5x4), flicking Sodhi to the ropes, bringing up the 100-run partnership in 131 balls.

It was finally the left-arm spin of Yuveraj that ended the stand, the ball taking Fleming's inside edge, flicking the pads, for Dighe to complete a usual stumping. The skipper's 66 (91b, 7x4) had been a valuable effort. The second-wicket stand had fetched the Kiwis 138 runs in 173 balls, laying the platform for the later batsman.

Soon Craig McMillan (4) discovered that the sweep shot can be a double-edged sword, Sodhi holding on to the ball at square-leg, Yuveraj again being the successful bowler.

Lou Vincent, who replaced Jacob Oram for the game, then came up with some audacious strokes, the slog-swept six off Yuveraj being one of them. Astle soon reached his hundred, moved from 95 to 99 slamming Zaheer Khan through the covers, and reaching the three- figure mark pushing the bowler to covers. When Astle finally perished, his lofted hit off Nehra, taken by Sehwag in the deep, he had already done more than his bit for the side, making 108 (143b, 9x4) for his side.

Vincent, who had added 65 in 49 balls with Astle, was in no mood to relent though, pulling Zaheer for a six-this was surely an off-day for the left-arm paceman who strived for too much-and clouting him for another boundary after stepping down the track.

Vincent (45, 37b, 3x4, 2x6) was finally dismissed in the last over, making room to swing Nehra, the pick of the bowlers, and losing his leg-stump, and off the next delivery, Adam Parore was trapped in front. Vettori averted a hat-trick picking two off the last ball, and New Zealand had ended up with a challenging score.

Ganguly fined

Match Referee Cammie Smith fined Ganguly 75 per cent of his match fee besides severely reprimanding him for `bringing the game into disrepute' following his verbal outburst after trapping Russel Arnold leg-before on Wednesday.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND 


Mathew Sinclair c Badani b Zaheer        3
(21b)
Nathan Astle c Sehwag b Nehra          108
(143b, 9x4)
Stephen Fleming st Dighe b Yuveraj      66
(91b, 7x4)
Craig McMillan c Sodhi b Yuveraj         4
(4b)
Lou Vincent b Nehra                     45
(37b, 3x4, 2x6)
Dion Nash c Nehra b Zaheer               0
(1b)
Chris Harris (not out)                   1
(2b)
Adam Parore lbw b Nehra                  0
(1b)
Daniel Vettori (not out)                 2
(1b)
Extras (lb-16, w-18, nb-1)              35

                                       ---
Total (for 7 wkts. in 50 overs)        264
                                       ---

Fall   of  wickets:  1-28  (Sinclair),  2-166  (Fleming),   3-182 
(McMillan),  4-247 (Astle), 5-259 (Nash), 6-262 (Vincent),  7-262 
(Parore).

India bowling: Zaheer Khan 9-0-59-2 (w-3), Ashish Nehra  9-1-30-3 
(w-6, nb-1), Harbhajan Singh 10-0-46-0, Virender Sehwag 3-0- 26-0 
(w-7),  Sourav Ganguly 6-0-23-0, Reetinder Singh Sodhi  4-0-27-0, 
Yuveraj Singh 9-0-37-2.

INDIA

Sourav Ganguly c Fleming b Harris        64
(103b, 7x4)
Virender Sehwag b McMillan              100
(69b, 19x4, 1x6)
V.V.S. Laxman b McMillan                  0
(9b)
Rahul Dravid (not out)                   57
(55b, 6x4)
Hemang Badani (not out)                  35
(38b, 3x4, 2x6)
Extras (b-4, lb-1, w-4, nb-2)            11
                                        ---
Total (for 3 wkts. in 45.4 overs)       267
                                        ---

Fall of wickets: 1-143 (Sehwag), 2-146 (Laxman), 3-179 (Ganguly).

New Zealand bowling: Tuffey 6-1-37-0 (w-1), Mills 3-0- 26-0, Nash 
4-0-29-0, Vettori 10-0-56-0 (nb-2), Harris 8-0-39-1 (w-2),  Astle  
6-0-26-0, McMillan 8.4-1-49-2 (w-1).

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