SPORTS

Laxman hits ton in practice match

Source:PTI
July 16, 2005 19:03 IST

V V S Laxman hit a century while Rahul Dravid got out for a first ball duck in an action-filled first practice match, part of the ongoing cricket skills camp, in Bangalore on Saturday.

Rahul Dravid XI and Virender Sehwag XI, drawn from the probables attending the camp, played a one-day game at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in preparation for the tri-series in Sri Lanka, commencing July 30.

Batting first, Sehwag XI scored 226 for 8 in 45 overs. In reply, Dravid XI hit up the required runs in 32.4 overs for the loss of five wickets.

Sehwag was obviously not in his element. He scored one run off 13 deliveries before being trapped leg before by Amit Bhandari.

Laxman, probably keen to prove a point or two, dug in and notched a 111-ball 101, inclusive of ten fours. Mohammed Kaif (5) retired hurt after a "hamstring pull".

M S Dhoni kept wickets for Dravid XI initially but was later replaced by Parthiv Patel, who had actually been listed in the opposite eleven. Coach Greg Chappell, who was keenly watching the proceedings, probably wanted to see both keepers in a match situation.

J P Yadav (30), Hemang Badani (22) and Joginder Sharma (18) were the other notable contributors for Sehwag XI.

Irfan Pathan, Amit Bhandari and Sreeshant took two wickets each, while S S Paul scalped one.

Dravid XI started disastrously, losing their skipper in no time. Dravid was caught by wicket-keeper Dinesh Kaarthick off L Balaji. Yuvraj Singh hit a polished 56 off 54 balls, inclusive of eight fours and a six; Dhoni rode on two dropped catches to chip in with 35.

In the end, Neeraj Patel (34 not out) and Venugopal Rao (27 not out) saw the side through with an unbroken partnership for the sixth wicket.

Earlier, Suresh Raina scored 38 and Dinesh Mongia 20.

J P Yadav was pick of the bowlers for Sehwag XI, taking two wickets, while Balaji and Murali Karthik accounted for one each.

The probables will play two more games -- a day-night benefit match for former Test cricketer David Johnson on Sunday and another one-day game on the concluding day of the camp, July 19.

Source: PTI
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