India beats NZ by 10 wickets to clinch series

Virender Sehwag sped to a century from 60 balls, the seventh fastest in limited-overs international history, as India beat New Zealand by 10 wickets in a rain-reduced contest Wednesday to clinch the series with a match to spare.

Sehwag’s hundred was the fastest by an Indian batsman in one day internationals, beating Mohammad Azharuddin’s 62-ball effort against New Zealand at Baroda 21 years ago, and helped clinched India’s first win in a limited-overs series in New Zealand.

Sehwag finished 125 not out from 74 ball and Gautam Gambhir was 63 not out as India reached 201 without loss in 23.3 overs, replying to New Zealand’s 270 from 47 overs in a rain-affected match. India’s unbroken opening partnership was the largest to win a match in one-day international history.

“I love it,” Sehwag said. “I know how the pitches behave here.

I played here also in 2003 and scored two hundreds that time.

“This time the pitches are so flat and good to bat on.” Sehwag blasted 14 fours and six sixes in an innings which, around three rain interruptions, occupied only 139 minutes. He rushed to a half century from 31 balls and helped India reached 100 in 54 minutes from 69 balls.

Sehwag passed his century in 87 minutes with 13 fours and four sixes, adding his second 50 from only 29 balls.

HAMILTON , AP

	New Zealand Innings
Jesse Ryder c Raina b Yuvraj 			 46
Brendon McCullum lbw b Zaheer 			 77
Ross Taylor c Sharma b Pathan 			 05
Martin Guptill c sub (Karthik) b Sharma 	 25
Jacob Oram c Dhoni b Sharma 			 01
Peter McGlashan not out 			 56
Grant Elliott not out 				 35
Extras (9b,13w,3nb) 				 25 
TOTAL (for five wickets) 			270
Overs: 47. 
Fall of wickets: 1-102, 2-115, 3-155, 4-156, 5-175., 

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 10-0-49-1 (2w), Praveen Kumar 7-0-51-0 (7w), Ishant 
Sharma 8-0-57-2 (2w,3nb), Yuvraj Singh 9-0-40-1, Yusuf Pathan 5-0-14-1, 
Harbhajan Singh 8-0-50-0 (2w). 

	India Innings

Gautam Gambhir not out 		 	 63
Virender Sehwag not out 		125
Extras (9lb,4w) 			 13 
TOTAL (for no wicket) 			201
Overs: 23.3. 

Bowling: Kyle Mills 5-0-29-0, Ewen Thompson 4-0-42-0 (2w), Iain O’Brien 
3-0-37-0 (1w), Daniel Vettori 5-0-32-0, Jacob Oram 4.3-0-43-0, Grant 
Elliott 2-0-9-0 (1w)