Valiant Viru: Charm, charisma & class

When Virender Sehwag makes a comment, you better believe it.
He is also the batsman who has managed in part to unravel the so-called mystery of Ajantha Mendis variety of spin. This alone is exciting enough as Mendis has many awed by the way he has started his career and earned his wickets: facile words such as
wizard and magician follows his every footstep. But all that is media hype.Fortunately Sri Lankan Army second lieutenant keeps feet on terra firma. In fact there is the impression others are more impressed by all the publicity surrounding him than is Mendis who has admitted to enjoying being with his parents.
But for Sehwag, the reality is in his run-scoring ability and not only the way he mastered Mendis and tamed the menace. By the end day one (Thursday) of this second Test here, and already well into what is his fifteenth Test century, he suggested that the job had only been partly done as he first needed to rescue India then build the innings towards a competitive total.

Asia Cup 11th ODI India VS Sri Lanka Highlights India

India post a fluent six-wicket win, march into the final

Karachi: So true are the tracks at the National Stadium here, that even a score of around 310 is never safe. Once again, teh team batting second made a mockery of the big score they chased. The Indian batsmen found few devils in the pitch and none at all in the bowling as they sailed to a comfortable win over Sri Lanka to book a place in the final of the Asia Cup.Chasing Sri Lanka's 308-8, India comfortably reached 310-4 in 46.5 overs.ndia now take on Sri Lanka again in the final on Sunday,while Pakistan and Bangladesh play for statistics on Friday.

Raina fashions roaring seven-wicket win

Karachi: Suresh Raina's midas touch in the Asia Cup continued, as a breathtaking 116 not out by the southpaw saw India chase down a 284-run target with ease.Raina scored an unbeaten 116 as India cantered home against Bangladesh in 43.2 overs with seven wickets in hand. Gautam Gambhir also came up with a masterful 90 to lead the charge in the run-chase in the first Super Four clash.Earlier, riding on a 96-ball blitzkrieg of 115 by Alok Kapali, Bangladesh amassed 283-6.
Gambhir and Raina powered India's third straight win in the tournament. Gambhir perished 10 short of what would have been a well-deserved hundred but Raina, along with Yuvraj, took the team home.Yuvraj pounded some hefty blows, including two towering sixes during his unbeaten 36, but the real heroes of the game were Gambhir and Raina, who made Bangladesh pay heavily for missed chances as they put up a majestic 139-run stand.Raina, after scores of 101 (against Hong Kong) and 84 against (Pakistan) earlier this week, continued his dream run in the Asia Cup as he notched up the second century of his career. The southpaw smashed a six and then a four off Abdur Razzak to reach his ton in 93 balls. He clobbered 11 fours and three sixes during his 107-ball innings.

Asia-Cup Cricket 2008: India innings vs Pakistan

Sehwag and Raina seal thumping win

A mighty performance from India's batsmen, led by Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina, made easy work of Pakistan's competitive target of 300 and gave India two points to take into the next round. The pair tore into Pakistan's depleted and wayward bowling attack - scoring at more than eight an over during their second-wicket partnership of 198 - as India reached the target with six wickets and 47 balls to spare, their quickest chase while facing a target of 300.

Sehwag special takes India home by six wickets

Karachi: Virender Sehwag came to the party at the National Stadium here, scoring the fastest One-day International century against Pakistan by any batsman, as India walked away with a surprisingly easy six-wicket victory in their crucial Group B Clash.Set 300 to win, India eased to their target with the loss of four wickets in just 42.1 overs.Sehwag scored his century off just 80 balls, with the help of ten boundaries and five sixes and was involved in a big standwith Suresh Raina that settled it in India's favour.Sehwag and Raina put on 198 runs after India lost Gautam Gambhir early to a blinder taken by Misbah-ul-Haq at gully. Raina was also extremely aggressive and the duo were always on the ball with the run-rate.
Raina faced 69 balls as he blasted ten fours and three sixes in his innings of 84, and looked all set to get his second consecutive century before he carved one straight down Fawad Alam's throat off Rao Ifthikhar Anjum.
Sehwag, who knocked up his ninth One-day hundred, also departed soon after offering a skier to Younis Khan, before Yuvraj Singh and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni continued India's surge towards the formidable target with relative ease.