SL Triangular Series: Viru Punches, Pacers Slaughter NZ on the way to Final

Dambulla, Sri Lanka: The virtual semifinal between NZ and India remained a contest between the bowlers of both teams. Two batsmen excelled, one from each team. But Sehwag; century was enough to defy Mills half-century’s importance in the match dominated by bowlers. Praveen and Nehra decided the result with decisive opening spell.

Match Facts

1. Sehwag hit his 13th ODI century and 6th against New Zealand.
2. NZ vice-captain Mills hit 52, the 2nd 50 plus score of the match where all 20 wickets tumbled.
3. Sehwag and Dhoni had a century partnership of 107 runs for 5th wicket.
4. India meets SL in the final now.

Captains: Ross Taylor (NZ), Dhoni (Ind)
Toss India, who chose to bat
Points India 5, New Zealand 0
Player of the match V Sehwag (India)
Result: Ind won by 105 runs

Ind Innings

KD Karthik c †Hopkins b Mills 0
Sehwag c Watling b McCullum 110 (93balls, 16 fours, 1six)
Kohli c †Hopkins b Southee 8
Yuvraj Singh c †Hopkins b McKay 6
Raina c Williamson b Southee 1
Dhoni*† c †Hopkins b McCullum 38 (75 balls, 3 fours)
Jadeja c Taylor b Southee 17
Praveen Kumar c Mills b Southee 6
Nehra c & b McCullum 0
Ishant Sharma not out 8
Munaf Patel c McKay b Mills 7
Extras (b 1, lb 5, w 14, nb 2) 22
Total (all out; 46.3 overs) 223 (4.79 runs per over)

Fall of wickets
1-0 (Karthik, 0.3 ov), 2-27 (Kohli, 5.4 ov), 3-61 (Yuvraj Singh, 11.3 ov), 4-66 (Raina, 12.6 ov), 5-173 (Sehwag, 32.2 ov), 6-199 (Dhoni, 38.3 ov), 7-199 (Jadeja, 39.2 ov), 8-207 (Nehra, 42.4 ov), 9-207 (Kumar, 43.1 ov), 10-223 (Patel, 46.3 ov)

Bowling

Mills 8.3 overs 1 maiden 42/2
SOuthee 10 overs 2 maiden 49/4
McKay 8 overs 1 maiden 31/1
Styris 6 overs 37/0
Nathan 10 overs 35/3
Williamson 4 overs 23/0

NZ Innings (224 runs from 50 overs)

Watling b Nehra 2
Guptill lbw b Kumar 0
Ross Taylor* c †Dhoni b Kumar 8
Elliott lbw b Patel 11
Styris b Kumar 1
Williamson b Sharma 13
Hopkins† lbw b Patel 0
Nathan McCullum c Karthik b Patel 5
Mills c Kumar b Nehra 52 (35 balls, 7 fours, 3 sixes)
Southee c Kumar b Jadeja 10
McKay not out 3
Extras (lb 5, w 8) 13
Total (all out; 30.1 overs) 118 (3.91 runs per over)

Fall of wickets
1-1 (Guptill, 0.2 ov), 2-6 (Watling, 3.4 ov), 3-14 (Taylor, 4.4 ov), 4-22 (Styris, 8.5 ov), 5-41 (Williamson, 15.5 ov), 6-42 (Hopkins, 16.5 ov), 7-52 (Elliott, 20.5 ov), 8-53 (McCullum, 22.2 ov), 9-80 (Southee, 24.2 ov), 10-118 (Mills, 30.1 ov)

Bowling

Praveen 8 overs 2 maiden 34/3
Nehra 6.1 overs 1 maiden 10/2
Munaf 7 overs 1 maiden 21/3
Ishant 6 overs 1 maiden 27/1
Jadeja 3 overs 21/1