Kohli's century helps India to resounding win

Kohli's century helps India to resounding win |Kohli's century helps India to resounding win

Virat Kohli struck a career-best 118 Wednesday as India cruised to a five-wicket victory over Australia in the second one-day international.

The 21-year-old struck 11 fours and a six during the 121-ball knock that helped the home side wrap up a win with seven deliveries to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Supported well by Suresh Raina (71 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (58), Kohli dominated the bowling with ease and bettered his previous best of 107 versus Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta last year.

Raina produced a well-paced 47-ball knock to power the team through under lights even as the inexperienced Australian pace bowlers tried hard to get the breakthroughs. Yuvraj was content playing second fiddle to Kohli during a 137-run third-wicket stand that laid the foundation for the big chase.

The left-hander hit five fours off 87 balls before he was bowled trying to pull a slower one from Clint McKay. McKay had also accounted for openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay. The pace bowler bowled debutante Dhawan with a delivery that came in sharply and then induced an edge from Vijay. John Hastings took two quick wickets, that of Kohli and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but the effort was too little too late. Earlier, captain Michael Clarke produced a resolute century as Australia set a challenging 290-run target. Clarke compiled a neat 111 not out, returning to form in style after a forgettable test series in which he could manage only 35 runs in four innings. He was in two big stands with Michael Hussey (69) and Cameron White (89 not out) that lifted the team to 289-3 after being asked to bat.

Clarke struck seven fours and a six during his fifth one-day century, which lasted 138 deliveries. He first rescued the side with a 144-run stand for the third wicket with Hussey, and then powered it with a 129-run unbroken partnership for the fourth with big-hitting White.

Hussey showed early flourish with some well-timed drives on the off side. The left-hander struck seven fours in a 78-ball innings and was happy to rotate the strike with Clarke when the ball was not coming on to the bat.

White smashed six fours and as many sixes during his 49-ball knock, as Australia raced ahead after being 186-3 in 42 overs, when the batting power play was taken. Australia added 114 in the last 10 overs, 84 off them off the last five, with seam bowler Vinay Kumar once going for 17 runs and then for 23 in the last over of the innings. Australia had two early setbacks as Ashish Nehra produced a fine spell with the new ball to reduce the visiting side to 16-2.

Left-hander Shaun Marsh inside-edged one on to the stumps without scoring while Tim Paine failed in a desperate attempt to clear mid-on and was caught by Vinay Kumar for 9 off 24 deliveries. Nehra's first spell read 4-1-3-2.

Allrounder Hastings and left-arm pace bowler Mitchell Starc made their debuts for Australia. For India, left-handed batsmen Dhawan and Saurabh Tiwary made their first appearances.

Both teams are playing the series without several prominent players.
India is without Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha, all of whom have been rested. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma are out with injuries.

Australia is without regular skipper Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson.

The first match was washed out in Kochi while the final match will be held at Margao in Goa on Sunday.

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