Dhoni rescues India after top-order collapse

CHENNAI, December 30, 2012 PTI





Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni single-handedly resurrected India's innings with a defiant unbeaten century as the hosts recovered from a top-order collapse to post a fighting 227/6 against Pakistan in the first cricket one-dayer in Chennai on Sunday.



Pacer Junaid Khan had justified his captain Misbah-ul-Haq's decision to bowl first in damp conditions with a four-wicket haul, which cleaned up the Indian top order, before Dhoni (113 off 125 balls) got going and brought the home team back into the match.



The under-fire skipper, who also completed 7,000 ODI runs during the course of his innings, rescued the hosts with some fine support from Suresh Raina (43) and R Ashwin (31 not out) down the order.



Dhoni and Ashwin shared the best-ever seventh-wicket partnership for India, adding 125 runs.



But to start with, it seemed like a nightmare unfolding for India with struggling opener Virender Sehwag becoming Junaid's first victim.



The Delhi batsman, considered a game-changer for his ability to take the attack to the opposition, swung it Pakistan's way after slogging for 11 balls to get four runs.



The right-hander, already under fire for failing repeatedly in the lost Test series against England, did his reputation no good by failing to pick a Junaid inswinger, which crashed into his middle and off stumps.



What followed was a procession of sorts as the top half of the Indian line-up made quick return to the dressing room.



Big guns such as Gautam Gambhir (8), Virat Kohli (0) and Yuvraj Singh (2) made blink-and-miss appearances as Junaid worked his magic, getting ample support from Mohammed Irfan and pace spearhead Umar Gul.



The big four of the Indian batting order were all bowled, three of them by Junaid, who seemed unplayable in the damp conditions due to overnight rain.



The proverbial promising batsman of the side, Rohit Sharma, added another one to his growing list of failures, becoming Junaid's fourth victim after scratching around for 14 deliveries for his four runs.



Rohit's last six ODI innings now read a disappointing 4, 4, 4, 0, 0 and 5. In fact, the top five managed to pull off just two fours for the team.



At 29/5 in a little less than 10 overs, India were staring firmly down the barrel before Raina and Dhoni came together to repair the innings slowly and steadily.



The cautious duo added 73 runs for the sixth wicket and defied Pakistani bowlers for a good 23 overs.



Dhoni got a life on 16 when in the 26th over rival skipper Misbah-ul Haq dropped him at midwicket of Mohammed Hafeez's bowling and the Indian, who smashed seven fours and three sixes, made it count.



Dhoni was suffering from dehydration and also battled cramps towards the end of India innings.



Meanwhile, Raina's patient innings came to an end when he lost his leg stump to Hafeez. But Dhoni was unfazed and, in fact, accelerated from that point, reaching his fifty with a whip over midwicket boundary off Umar Gul.



For a man not exactly known for solid technique, Dhoni was the lone Indian batsman to smash spin ace Saeed Ajmal for a six. A new ball had to be sought to replace the one which went out of the ground.



He also brought up his hundred in style, hoicking Irfan over cover in the 49th over, which produced 21 runs with Dhoni doing most of the scoring. For Pakistan, Junaid was the most successful bowler, grabbing 4/43 in his nine overs.



This was the first match played under the new ICC rules.



Under these rules, one new ball was used at each end, bowlers were allowed two bouncers an over, there was no batting Power Play, the bowling Power Play was completed before the 40th over, and at no stage in the innings more than four fielders were allowed outside the 30-yard circle.



Scoreboard:



India innings:



G Gambhir b Mohammad Irfan 8



V Sehwag b Junaid Khan 4



V Kohli b Junaid Khan 0



Yuvraj b Junaid Khan 2



RG Sharma c Mohammad Hafeez b Junaid Khan 4



SK Raina b Mohammad Hafeez 43



MS Dhoni not out 113



R Ashwin not out 31



Extras: (LB—11, W—9, NB—2) 22



TOTAL: (for 6 wkts in 50 overs) 227



Fall of wickets: 1—17, 2—17, 3—19, 4—20, 5—29, 6—102



Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 9—2—58—1, Junaid Khan 9—1—43—4, Umar Gul 8—0—38—0, Saeed Ajmal 10—1—42—0, Mohammad Hafeez 10—2—26—1, Shoaib Malik 4—0—9—0.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com