Sehwag Powers India First Series Win in New Zealand

Hamilton: Virender Sehwag blasted India's fastest one-day hundred as India swept to a comprehensive victory and secured their maiden one-day series triumph in New Zealand. He reached three-figures off 60 balls with a signature six, and his awe-inspiring hitting completely overshadowed Gautam Gambhir's nearly run-a-ball half-century.

India were earlier set to chase 281 in 47 overs but after the third rain interruption, the target was revised to 263 in 43 overs and after the fourth rain interruption the target was again revised to 220 runs in 36 overs according to the Duckworth Lewis method.

Daniel Vettori and the rest of the New Zealand bowlers were powerless in the face of the onslaught, and what had seemed a challenging target was whittled down with ridiculous ease.

Sehwag got to his 11th ODI century with a six over long off achieving the milestone off just 60 balls making it the 7th fastest century in ODI history.

Sehwag's blitzkrieg knock of 108 runs off 63 balls was studded with 4 sixes and 14 fours and overshadowed Gautam Gambhir's 15th ODI fifty that came off 53 balls and contained 5 hits to the fence.

Sehwag broke the record of Mohammad Azharuddin 62-ball 100 that too came against New Zealand at Baroda in 1988.

Earlier, reeling at 175/5, the Kiwi innings was revived by an unbeaten 95-run stand between Peter McGlashan and Grant Elliott and ended at 270/5.

McGlashan hit a six and 6 fours in his 42-ball 56, while Elliott scored an unbeaten 35 off 27 balls with the help of a six and 3 fours.

Ishant Sharma took the fifth Kiwi wicket when he had Martin Guptill (25) caught at third man by substitute Dinesh Karthik.

Highlights of the match

• Virender Sehwag's unbeaten 125 is his third ODI hundred in New Zealand, where he averages more than in any country in which he has played more than one match. In 11 games there he has hit three hundreds, for an average of 55.80 and a strike rate of 100.90. He is the only Indian to score more than one ODI century in New Zealand.
• In his last 21 ODIs, Sehwag has scored 1240 runs at an average of 62 and a strike rate of 131.49.
• In 24 innings, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have added 1380 runs at an average of 60 and run-rate of 6.61 per over. Among Indian opening pairs, who have scored at least 750 runs, this pair has the highest average and strike rate.
• Sehwag and Gambhir added 201 at a rate of 8.55 runs per over, which is the second-fastest double-century partnership in ODIs. Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga added 286 against England in 2006 at a rate of 8.98 runs per over.
• Ewen Thompson's economy rate of 10.50 is among the most expensive by a debutant. Among those who bowled at least four overs on debut, only four have a worse economy rate.
• It's only the third instance of a team scoring 200 or more while batting second in an ODI and winning without losing a wicket.

Brief Score: India 201/0 (Sehwag 125*, Gambhir 63*, 23.3 ov) beat New Zealand 270/5 (McCullum 77, McGlashan 56*, 47 ov) by ten wickets.