Raina trumps Taylor's ton

Suresh Raina hit a century as India spoiled Brendan Taylor's farewell party with a hard-fought six-wicket win in the World Cup Pool B match in Auckland on Saturday.

Raina survived two dropped catches during his unbeaten 104-ball 110 as India chased down a stiff 288-run target in 48.4 overs for their sixth win in as many matches.

Departing Zimbabwe batsman Taylor had anchored Zimbabwe's 287 all out with a punishing 110-ball 138 in what was his last international after signing a deal with English county Nottinghamshire.

With India on 158-4, and Raina on 47, Zimbabwe spurned a good chance of pressing for a win when Hamilton Masakadza dropped a sitter at short fine-leg off Sikander Raza.

It was Masakadza who was at the receiving end of the second chance when wicketkeeper Taylor dropped Raina off his bowling with his score on 71.

The left-hander punished Zimbabwe by completing his fifth one-day hundred -- his first in World Cups -- reaching the three-figure mark off 94 balls. In all he hit nine boundaries and four sixes.

With India in a spot of bother at 92-4, when Raza bowled Virat Kohli for 38, Raina found an able partner in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the experienced duo added 196 for an unbroken fifth wicket stand.

Dhoni finished with 85 not out off 76 balls, hitting the winning six off Tinashe Panyangara, his second in addition to eight boundaries.

India had lost opener Rohit Sharma (16), in-form Shikhar Dhawan (four) and Ajinkya Rahane (19), with two of the wickets going to Panyangara.

Earlier Taylor smashed 15 boundaries and five towering sixes in his brilliant knock.

His ton anchored his team, unable to qualify for the quarterfinals, after they were sent into bat by the defending champions.

He added an invaluable 93 for the fourth wicket with Sean Williams (50) and another 109 for the next with Craig Ervine (27) to help Zimbabwe recover from a struggling 33 for three.