Dhoni lifts India

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni plays a pull shot during his stroke-filled hundred in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at The Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur yesterday. Photo: AFP

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a robust century to help India post a challenging 301-7 in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka here on Friday.
The India captain hit 107 for his sixth one-day century as India recovered from a shaky start to set a stiff target after electing to bat in the day-night match.
He received valuable support from Suresh Raina (68), the duo giving a superb exhibition of hard and clean hitting during their 126-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Dhoni, who survived a stumping chance off unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis when on 49, cracked two sixes and eight fours in his 111-ball knock.
Raina hit three sixes and four boundaries in his 55-ball innings as India plundered 102 runs in the last 10 overs.
The hosts were struggling at 19-2 on an easy-paced track, but Virat Kohli (54) and Sachin Tendulkar (43) added 62 for the third wicket to steady the innings before Dhoni and Raina consolidated their team's position.
Tendulkar, who made his debut on December 18, 1989 in Pakistan, completed 20 years in one-day cricket with a solid knock after the early dismissals of in-form Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.
Sehwag (four), who hammered a century in his team's three-run victory in the previous match, was caught by wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara while attempting to cut seamer Chanaka Welegedara in the match's first over.
The hosts suffered another blow a few overs later when Gambhir (two) was caught short of the crease after colliding with bowler Welegedara while going for a single.
Tendulkar fell in a bid to step up the run-rate, stumped by Sangakkara while trying a big shot off Mendis.
Kohli fell after completing his third half-century in 13 one-dayers, trapped leg-before by debutant off-spinner Suraj Randiv (3-51) after hitting seven fours in his 65-ball knock.
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Sri Lanka were in command chasing a victory target of 302 with opener Tillakaratne Dilshan scoring yet another blistering hundred. Dilshan was batting on 108 and his partner former skipper Mahela Jayawardena on 15 as the Lankans raced to 185 for two in 30 overs.