India 223 (Sehwag 110, Southee 4-49, McCullum 3-35) beat New Zealand 118 (Mills 52, Praveen 3-34, Praveen 3-21) by 105 runs.
A combination of belligerent hitting by Virender Sehwag and potent seam bowling helped India storm to the final of the tri-series with a comprehensive thrashing of New Zealand in the last league game.
On a day when a majority of specialist batsmen on both sides batted with two left feet in bowler-friendly conditions, Sehwag found a way to carve out an aggressive century, scoring more than what 11 New Zealanders managed. A target of 224 turned out to be way out of New Zealand's reach as their top order crumbled against a four-pronged seam attack, a combination one wouldn't associate with Indian sides, especially in the subcontinent.New Zealand gave themselves a shot at qualifying for the tri-series final by restricting a wobbly India to 223. An overwhelming percentage of the total once again came from Virender Sehwag, as the lack of contributions from his colleagues continued in India's inconsistent batting displays through the series. Sehwag's whirlwind century formed the mainstay of a 107-run stand with MS Dhoni and gave India some amount of control, but his dismissal in the 33rd over heralded a quick end to the innings.Credit should go to the way New Zealand's varied attack made India struggle in conditions that didn't suit trigger-happy batsmen. The fresh pitch had bounce, nip and a bit of seam movement early on and the majority of the Indian batsmen lacked the temperament to last 50 overs in testing conditions.It appeared as though Sehwag was batting on a different pitch. He was unfazed by the early movement and nip off the wicket, which made the seamers look potent. Dinesh Karthik and Virat Kohli were out poking at deliveries outside off stump, while Yuvraj Singh was hurried by the pace and bounce of Andy McKay. When Suresh Raina was out pulling Tim Southee while trying to force the pace, India had lost four wickets by the end of 13 overs. Those wickets took the sheen away from a fluid and entertaining start from Sehwag.Not known for exaggerated foot movements, Sehwag used the crease to loft the seamers over the off side, through the line of the ball. He barely moved across the stumps but such was his confidence that he managed to stretch, scoop and slash powerfully over backward point. He backed away and slapped the slower bowlers past the infield as well. A more conventional punch through cover brought up his 1000th ODI four and that was part of a sequence of three consecutive fours off Southee.India were lucky to have Dhoni at the other end for he rotated strike and built a solid partnership. Their stand produced a valuable 107, but India needed them to stay longer as they were the last capable pair, with only Ravindra Jadeja, who is still trying to find his feet in ODIs, and a long tail to follow. Sehwag didn't drop anchor, though. He continued charging the spinners, lifting Kane Williamson inside-out over extra cover for boundaries and also cleverly picking the gaps at fine leg off the seamers. He played the upper cut over the vacant slip cordon shortly after getting to his century, but the fun ended for India when Sehwag found deep midwicket when on 110, his dismissal coming against the run of play.Dhoni, who had batted carefully while partnering Sehwag, had to try and reclaim the advantage for India but New Zealand took control. Having grafted to 38 off 75 balls, he edged a Nathan McCullum delivery trying to drive. Jadeja got going with meaty jabs through cover, but he ultimately fell to a well-directed bouncer from the impressive Southee, who picked up four wickets. India had lost both Dhoni and Jadeja in the space of two overs and were losing control fast. The lower order took the score past 220, enough to give New Zealand something to chase, but perhaps 30 short of a competitive score. What could hold New Zealand back, however, is that their batsmen haven't had a hit for the last 12 days. Against a four-pronged seam attack, their equally unpredictable line-up could be tested under lights.
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