Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni powered India Seniors to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over India 'B' with a rollicking 187-run stand in the N K P Salve Challenger Series match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, on Tuesday.
Left-handed Dhawan and right-handed Dhoni combined forces in splendid fashion, after a cautious start, to rattle up runs at over seven an over and make light of a stiff asking rate of 5.52 set by India 'B', who had piled 275 all out in 50 overs after choosing to bat first.
Chasing the India 'B' total of 275, compiled mainly with the help of fine half centuries by V V S Laxman (67) and Sridharan Sriram (52), India Seniors achieved the target in only 46.4 overs and kept their hopes of entering the February 10 final alive.
The Sourav Ganguly-led India Seniors had lost the opening clash to India 'A', led by Rahul Dravid, by four wickets on Monday night.
Dhawan compiled a stroke-filled 126 off 124 balls, studded with 16 fours and two sixes. But it was the 23-year-old Ranchi-born Dhoni who set the Wankhede stadium alight with his audacious stroke-play. He scored a rapid-fire 87 off 76 balls before retiring to the pavilion with a bout of leg cramps.
He later returned to replace Ganguly, when the latter got out for 27 and the scored read 246, and remained unbeaten till the end with a swashbuckling knock of 102 that included 10 fours and four sixes and came off only 96 balls.
Fittingly, he struck the winning hit too, a boundary, and also completed his century in the process.
Earlier, Laxman batted in his patented fashion, driving wristily and elegantly to score a fine 67, off 69 balls, which was embellished by nine boundaries and a six, before being run-out.
Left-hander Sriram played a determined innings of 52, off 60 balls, inclusive of five boundaries and a swept six off Anil Kumble.
The two batsmen made light of the early loss of skipper Virender Sehwag (9), who was caught in the slip cordon off Lakshmipathy Balaji in the fifth over, and Gautam Gambhir (19).
The pace of the innings slackened a bit after the unfortunate run-out of Laxman, who was beaten by a throw from the deep by Suresh Raina while scampering for a third run, and the dismissal of Sriram, who chopped the ball onto his stumps, within the space of ten runs.
Ambati Rayudu's 48-ball 45, inclusive of seven hits to the fence, kept the innings going before a late cameo from the short and stocky Ramesh Powar, who hit some lusty blows towards the end of the innings in making 30 off 26 balls - ive boundaries -- helped in setting India Seniors a challenging target.
On a good batting track and confronted by a fast outfield, India Seniors' bowling looked a bit under the weather with only Kumble managing to give away less than five an over.
Balaji claimed four wickets, including two in the last over, while being quite expensive. Bengal's Ranadeb Bose, whose bowling action is similar to that of Australian pace bowler Jason Gillespie, grabbed two, while skipper Sourav Ganguly bowled first change and also took two wickets with his clever and subtle variations.
Bose was named as the replacement for the injured Irfan Pathan, who was ruled out yesterday, because of a groin injury.
