Yuvraj Singh hit an explosive 172 as India warmed up for the five match ODI series, thrashing Sri Lanka Invitation XI by 92 runs at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium here Friday. India scored a mammoth 342 for five in 50 overs before restricting the hosts to 250 for six in 50 overs.
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Yuvraj smashed the ball all over the park in his 121-ball innings and reached his hundred with a glance to fine leg for four. He then unleashed an array of big shots and the Sri Lanka Invitation attack had no answers. Eight boundaries and 13 sixes flowed from Yuvraj's blade. Suresh Raina contributed 45 runs.
Yuvraj's 100 came in 95 balls, but his next 50 runs came in only 16 balls and 13 minutes. He took off-spinner Jehan Mubarak to the cleaners, hitting four successive sixes in the 44th over and then smashed three successive sixes off left-armer Chanaka Welagedara.
Yuvraj rode on his luck twice, courtesy Dilhara Fernando. He first put him down at long-off to let the ball sail pass the ropes when he was on 129. He then put down a skier off his own bowling.
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Fernando, coming back from injury, had a disastrous day as he went wicketless and conceded 75 runs in his ten overs which included ten wides and four no balls.
Yuvraj was involved in a 99-run stand for the fifth wicket with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (20 not out). India were 235 for four in 43rd over, but what followed then was absolutely mayhem as the duo smacked 99 in 40 balls in just 32 minutes.
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The Sri Lankans had included seven of their regular players for the warm up game, but all they could do was stand and watch towards the latter part of the Indian innings. Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga struck fifty while Mubarak top-scored with 60 runs. Irfan Pathan picked up two wickets giving away 42 runs.
Scoreboard:
India:(Gautam Gambhir c Fernando b Welagedara 31; Virat Kohli c C. Silva b Mirando 23; Suresh Raina c Mirando b Bandara 45; Yuvraj Singh c M. Udawatte b Welagedara 172; Rohit Sharma run out (Mubarak/Fernando) 24; Mahendra Singh Dhoni not out 20; Irfan Pathan not out 3) Extras: (b 1, lb 2, w17, nb 4) 24; Total: (for five wickets in 50 overs) 342
Bowling: Dilhara Fernando 10-0-75-0; Chanaka Welagedara 9-0-64-0; Thilan Thushara 10-0-66-1; Jehan Mubarak 10-0-76-0; Malinda Warnapura 1-0-10-0; Malinga Bandara 10-0-48-1
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Sri Lanka Invitation XI: (Upul Tharanga c Dhoni b R.P. Singh 50; Mahela Udawatte c R.P. Singh b Pathan 20; Malina Warnapura c Gambhir b Pathan 10; Chamara Kapugedara ct Sharma b Harbhajan 06; Chamara Silva c Dilshan b Ojha 38; Jehan Mubarak c Raina B Patel 60; Kaushal Silva not out 38; Thilan Thushara not out 18) Extras: (lb 5, w 5) 10; Total: (for six wickets in 50 overs) 250
Bowling: R.P. Singh 7-0-39-1; Munaf Patel 10-1-36-1; Irfan Pathan 8-0-42-2; Harbhajan Singh 10-1-38-1; Pragyan Ojha 10-0-59-1; Ishant Sharma 3-0-20-0; Raina 2-0-5-0.
