HYDERABAD, India, 16 November 2003 — Openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar hit centuries to power India into the final with a 145-run victory over New Zealand in their one-day tri-series game yesterday.
Sehwag smashed a career-best 130 and Tendulkar, the most prolific one-day batsman, 102 off 91 balls for his 36th century as India amassed 353 for five, their third highest one-day total.
New Zealand, missing injured captain Stephen Fleming and distracted by security concerns over next week’s one-day tour of Pakistan, were all out for 208 with three overs left.
India moved ahead of New Zealand on points and into Tuesday’s final against world champions Australia at the Eden Gardens.
The Kiwis were never really in the hunt, losing wickets at steady intervals on a slow pitch, with only Scott Styris hitting a defiant 54.
A huge Indian total was always on once man-of-the-match Sehwag and Tendulkar raised their fifth century stand in one-dayers after Saurav Ganguly chose to bat first.
Tendulkar led the early assault with 12 fours and a six in his second hundred of the tournament. Sehwag then took over to hammer his fourth one-day hundred against the Kiwis, studded with 15 fours and two sixes. It was his sixth overall.
Rahul Dravid then tore into the demoralized Kiwi bowling by hammering a 22-ball unbeaten 50, with 38 coming in boundaries. Sehwag hit seamer Daryl Tuffey for three consecutive fours but was lucky to be dropped on 26, slashing Jacob Oram to deep third man where a diving Lou Vincent got a touch.
Tendulkar went after Oram, hitting him for a flurry of fours then hoisting Scott Styris over long-on for six before steering Chris Cairns to third man to reach his hundred.
Cairns, standing in for Fleming as skipper, operated at half pace after missing the last two games because of a hamstring injury.
Tendulkar lofted Chris Harris to deep extra cover four balls after reaching his second hundred of the series but Sehwag gave the bowlers no respite passing his previous best one-day score of 126.
Ganguly hit a 31-ball 33 but suffered a groin strain and did not field during the New Zealand innings.
New Zealand opener Lou Vincent hit 23 before being harshly adjudged leg before to left-arm Zaheer Khan, who took three for 30.
But most batsmen fell trying to force the pace against leg spinner Anil Kumble and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who bowled the middle overs to claim two wickets apiece.
