Ton-up Gambhir leads from the front as India win by 8 wickets

Wed, Dec 01 10 10:22 PM

Abhishek Hore Jaipur, Dec 1 (PTI) Gautam Gambhir stamped his authority with a majestic century as India romped to a convincing eight-wicket win thereby taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here today. Gambhir, the stand-in captain led by example carrying his bat through the innings for an unbeaten 116-ball 138, after S Sreesanth''s inspired spell at the death helped the hosts restrict New Zealand to 258 for eight in the second one-dayer. Virat Kohli, after his match-winning hundred in the series opener in Guwahati, continued to impress, compiling a neat 64 off 73 balls. But by the time Ross Taylor produced a blinder at short midwicket to send Kohli back, the issue was more or less sealed. This was Gambhir''s first century in almost a year, the last one coming in the home series against Sri Lanka on Christmas eve when he smashed an unbeaten 150 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Gambhir''s knock was decorated with 18 sweetly timed hits to the fence and a six. During their march to victory, India had two fruitful partnerships Gambhir and Murali Vijay gave the hosts a solid start putting on 87 runs for the first wicket, before Kohli joined the captain to forge a century stand that made only one result possible: An India victory. Gambhir then, in the company of Yuvraj Singh, completed the task in the 43rd over. Both Gambhir and Kohli got to their personal landmarks with boundaries. Kohli pulled Kyle Mills over square-leg boundary to notch up his eight ODI fifty, and moments later, Gambhir reached his hundred by dispatching McKay over midwicket, his eighth ton in this format of the game. The start was, however, tentative for the Indian captain -- he nearly played a Mills delivery on to his stumps. But that was all New Zealand could manage as Gambhir soon started dealing in boundaries and how. He began proceedings with an uppish drive over mid-off for a boundary. The southpaw then gave himself some room and smashed Mills through point for the same result, before easing into another majestic drive through extra cover and mid-off off the same bowler. Off side turned out to be his favoured area and anything pitched on or outside off was treated with sheer disdain by the Delhi left-hander, who was particularly severe on Mills in the first few overs of India innings. After dominating Mills, Gambhir then turned his attention towards Andy Mckay and Scott Styris and welcomed both with boundaries. While McKay was clipped off his hips over midwicket boundary, Gambhir send one Styris delivery soaring over mid-off. .

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