Live Updates: Sehwag's Ton Leads Indian Domination

Live Updates: Sehwag's Ton Leads Indian Domination

Virender Sehwag's splendid century helped India take control against New Zealand on the opening day of the first Test, at the Sardar Patel stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Sehwag dominated right from the start as he stroked his way to 144 from 156 balls, inclusive of 22 boundaries and a six. At the other end, Rahul Dravid showed great patience in scoring 35 from 130 balls, as India reached 209 for one in 54 overs.The two batsmen were involved in an unbroken stand of 149 runs for the second wicket to help the hosts dominate on a good wicket for batting.

Gautam Gambhir was the first wicket to fall, when he inside-edged an incoming delivery from Chris Martin back on to his stumps and was bowled for 21 from 41 balls, after putting on 60 for the first wicket with Sehwag.Earlier, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat. Incidentally, this was the first toss Dhoni won after losing nine in a row.

Sehwag took no time to find his bearings as he slammed Chris Martin for three boundaries through the off-side in the third over of the innings.Debutant Hamish Bennett bowled with good pace at the start and troubled Gautam Gambhir a bit, but the slow nature of the track meant the left-hander had enough time to adjust.There was nothing for the fast bowlers even as early as the first hour of the match.

Sehwag showed ominous signs early on as he eased another full delivery from Martin through the covers for a four.Vettori was forced to bring himself into the attack in the ninth over.Gambhir also finally seemed to have banished his nerves, as he hit Bennett for back-to-back boundaries to take India to 46 for no loss after ten overs.Sehwag needed no second invitation when part-timer Jesse Ryder was introduced into the attack.

But the medium pacer gave the Kiwis the much-needed breakthrough, claiming the wicket of Gambhir. The left-hander, who scored 21 from 41 balls, played tentatively to an incoming delivery only to inside edge it back on to his stumps.Gambhir's poor run with the bat continued; he has now scored 154 runs in his last ten innings in Test cricket.

Off-spinner Jeetan Patel also suffered at the hands of Sehwag in the very first over he bowled. The India opener drove him twice through the cover region for a couple of boundaries that also brought up his fifty from 49 balls, in the 18th over.At the other end, Dravid was content to bide his time with seven from 25 balls as India reached 91 for one in 20 overs.

Patel went around the wicket in his next over to Sehwag, but it hardly made a difference. Once again the off-spinner was hit through the off-side for two successive boundaries by Sehwag, who raced to 66 from 60 balls. It took his boundary count to 13, as India crossed the 100-run mark in the 22nd over.He repeated the dose on Patel in his next over, hitting him for back-to-back fours, through the covers and fine leg respectively to race to 82 and give himself a chance to get a century before lunch.

However, Sehwag showed great maturity and was content to play out the last few overs before the lunch break to save himself for the second session.At lunch, India were comfortably placed at 127 for one in 30 overs, with Sehwag on 87 from 84 balls, having hit 15 boundaries. At the other end, Dravid was keen to spend time out in the middle as he struggled to 12 from 57 balls.With the wicket looking flat as anything and New Zealand not having a strike bowler to make things happen, they can only hope and pray that Sehwg gets bored and throws his wicket away.

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