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Yuvraj Singh bludgeons a belligerent century in India’s easy victory

S. Ram Mahesh

He took time to settle down; it was only after the introduction of spin that he started imposing himself

— PHOTO: AFP

IN A PUNISHING MOOD: Yuvraj Singh hit 13 sixes and eight fours in his 121-ball 172.

Colombo: The Indians — supercharged by Yuvraj Singh’s 121-ball 172, which contained an incredible 13 sixes and eight fours — coasted to a 92-run win over a Sri Lankan XI at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium on Friday.

The practice match, India’s only such game before the five-match ODI series, was satisfactory — within bounds. Almost everyone got a hit during the Indians’ charge to 342 on a wicket that had a touch of duplicitous bounce. The bowling betrayed rust, and the fielding wasn’t uniformly high-class, but the touring side will be better for the outing.

Gautam Gambhir kick-started India’s innings, which began shortly after M.S. Dhoni hoisted the tricolour behind the members’ enclosure. The left-handed opener reprised his form from the Test series, glancing, upper-cutting, and square-driving the new-ball bowlers. But left-armer Chanaka Welegedera got one to bounce, and the top edge was taken at fine-leg.

Virat Kohli, opening instead of Virender Sehwag (one of five — Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Parthiv Patel, and S. Badrinath, the others — not playing this match), was splendid and horrid in equal part. A cover-drive off the back-foot stood out; the repeated wafting was another matter, and left-armer Thilan Thushara got one to lift across the right-hander for a catch to slip.

Suresh Raina appeared in a hurry, clearing his feet to access the off-side. Crucially — for Yuvraj, that is — Raina knuckled down to work it around. He also punished anything remotely loose. Yuvraj took time settling. It wasn’t until the introduction of spin that he found his timing.

Yuvraj thumped a Malinda Warnapura long hop for six, and thereafter looked the loose-limbed striker of legend. With the bowling, barring leg-spinner Malinga Bandara, lacking intent and control, there was no risk attached to run-gathering.

Yuvraj takes over

Raina (45, 57b, 4x4, 1x6) chipped Bandara to long-on, ending a third-wicket stand of 77 (96b), but here Yuvraj turned enforcer. The 26-year-old dominated alliances of 85 (83b) with Rohit Sharma and 99 (40b) with M.S. Dhoni, contributing 60 and 77 respectively to these partnerships.

Yuvraj’s preferred arc was between backward square-leg and long-on, feeding off the angle into him; the left-hander also unveiled a lofted cover drive on bent knee that travelled a hundred yards. After taking 70 balls for his first 50, Yuvraj hastened to his century in a further 25. The third 50 came in just 16!

Welegedera finally had him caught, the left-armer going around the wicket and changing the angle.

India’s new-ball bowlers, R.P. Singh and Munaf Patel, had trouble with their radars. Munaf corrected it, without looking the threat he was in the Indian nets; R.P. Singh, who attained lovely shape away from the left-handers when he got his line right, couldn’t manage the accuracy he would have liked, and was taken to the cleaners by Upul Tharanga.

The left-handed opener, trying to make a comeback to the Sri Lankan side, made use of the width on offer, slashing R.P. Singh for six before square-driving the same bowler. The left-armer to his credit created a chance by straightening his line, but Rohit Sharma at mid-wicket couldn’t get across in time. Irfan Pathan broke through for India, a touch of away movement finding Mahela Udawatte’s leading edge. Pathan, who — despite an unnecessary dalliance with the loopy bouncer — appeared to be running in with rhythm, bowled an out swinger of excellent length Malinda Warnapura. Gambhir completed a fine diving catch at first slip.

R.P. Singh switched ends to remove Tharanga with a sharp short delivery — Dhoni running around to catch the top edge. Chamara Silva added 53 for the fifth wicket with Jehan Mubarak before a reverse sweep off Pragyan Ojha went wrong. Mubarak continued to a workmanlike half-century, and although he opened his shoulders towards the end, the Sri Lankan XI never threatened the Indians’ score.

SCOREBOARD The scores: Indians: G. Gambhir c Fernando b Welegedera 31, V. Kohli c C. Silva b Thushara 23, S. Raina c Thushara b Bandara 45, Yuvraj c Udawatte b Welegedera 172, Rohit run out 24, M.S. Dhoni (not out) 20, I. Pathan (not out) 3, Extras (b-1, lb-2, nb-4, w-17) 24; Total (for five wickets in 50 overs) 342.

Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Gambhir), 2-73 (Kohli), 3-150 (Raina), 4-235 (Rohit), 5-334 (Yuvraj).

Sri Lankan XI bowling: Fernando 10-0-75-0, Welegedera 9-0-64-2, Thushara 10-0-66-1, Mubarak 10-0-76-0, Warnapura 1-0-10-0, Bandara 10-1-48-1.

Sri Lankan XI: U. Tharanga c Dhoni b R.P. Singh 50, M. Udawatte c R.P. Singh b Pathan 20, M. Warnapura c Gambhir b Pathan 10, C. Kapugedera c Raina b Harbhajan 6, C. Silva c Dhoni b Ojha 38, J. Mubarak c Raina b Munaf 60, K. Silva (not out) 38, T. Thushara (not out) 18, Extras (lb-5, w-5) 10; Total (for six wickets in 50 overs) 250.

Fall of wickets: 1-69 (Udawatte), 2-86 (Warnapura), 3-87 (Tharanga), 4-100 (Kapugedera), 5-153 (Silva), 6-225 (Mubarak).

Indians bowling: R.P. Singh 7-0-39-1, Munaf 10-1-36-1, Pathan 8-0-48-2, Harbhajan 10-1-38-1, Ojha 10-0-59-1, Sharma 3-0-20-0, Raina 2-0-5-0.

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