Sehwag sizzles as India trounce Pakistan

Karachi: Familiar Pakistan nemesis Virender Sehwag (119) slammed a brilliant century while Suresh Raina (84) too matched his aggression as India cantered to a facile six-wicket win with 7.5 overs to spare against the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup cricket tournament here on Wednesday night.

It was sweet revenge for the Indians who just two weeks ago were outclassed by Pakistan in the Kitply tri-series final in Dhaka.

With Sehwag and Raina on fire, India cruised to 301 for four in only 42.1 overs after Pakistan appeared to have set a competitive target by making 299 for four.

The hosts' innings revolved around 125 from captain Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan's 59 on a good batting track. Malik didn't field after retiring with cramps while pacer Umar Gul also went off with a rib cage injury after sending down just 1.2 overs.But under lights, Sehwag showed just how good the track was when he savaged the attack scoring his ninth hundred. He and Raina put on a record 198 runs for the second wicket from 149 balls before the stand was broken in the 28th over.

The stand was remarkable as it came after Pakistan's stand in captain Misbah-ul-Haq had brought off a spectacular one-handed catch at wide slip to get rid of Gautam Ghambir (9) in the third over and the players were on a high.

But it was Sehwag's day as he played some breathtaking shots to give India their fourth successive win over Pakistan at the venue. It was his first one-day hundred for India since he got one against Bermuda in the 2007 World Cup.

The second-wicket stand was also a new record for the Asia Cup, breaking the previous best of 154 between Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly against Bangladesh in 2004.

India, by virtue of their victory, topped group B of the six-nation tournament and will play Bangladesh in the first match of the super four stage on June 28.

Yuvraj Singh (48 from 47 balls) and MS Dhoni (26 not out) shared a fourth-wicket stand o f63 from 66 balls to seal the victory after the fall of Raina and Sehwag.

Raina, who hit 10 boundaries and three sixes, faced only 69 balls and fell in the 28th over after he played a loose shot to Iftikhar Anjum and was caught at cover by Fawad Alam.

Sehwag was caught at long on by Younis off Afridi after a 95-ball innings.

Sehwag's 119-ball blitzkrieg was studded with 12 fours and five sixes. Raina was no less aggressive either as the left-hander smote 10 fours and three sixes for his 69-ball 84.

Yuvraj, too, joined the run-feast though he fell two runs shy of his half century, Dhoni scored the winning run in style, hitting Younis Khan for a six.