Ton-ups Dhoni, Raina help India thump Hong Kong

KARACHI (AFP) - Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina hit aggressive hundreds to lead India to a huge 256-run win over Hong Kong in their Asia Cup Group B match here on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Raina compiled a 68-ball 101 for his maiden century while Dhoni notched an unbeaten 96-ball 109 as both shared a rapid-fire 166-run fourth wicket stand to shot India to the highest Asia Cup total of 374-4. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla then spun Hong Kong with figures of 4-23 as the minnows were bundled out for a paltry 118 in 36.5 overs. India meet Pakistan on Thursday to decide who tops the Group. Pakistan beat Hong Kong by 155 runs. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and United Arab Emirates are placed in Group A. The top two teams qualify for the Super League stages in which all teams play each other once to decide July 6 finalists. It was an expectedly one-sided affair as Hong Kong were no match for a superior India who completely dominated the match. Hong Kong never posed any trouble for their stronger opponents as only Irfan Ahmed (25), Jamie Atkinson (23) and Tabarak Dar (21) offered a little resistance. Dhoni was delighted with his team's performance. "You have to be ruthless no matter who you play," said Dhoni. "Everything clicked for us, Raina batted superbly and we played like we should." Earlier, it was the Indian batsmen led by Raina and Dhoni who enjoyed a run feast. Both were on the rampage, hitting the hapless Hong Kong bowlers to all corners of the park during their brisk 123-ball stand. Raina reached his second fifty off just 16 deliveries, smashing five sixes and three boundaries in the process. He hit three of those sixes off paceman Skhawat Ali before hitting another off Irfan to reach his first one-day international hundred off just 66 balls. In all he hit seven boundaries and five towering sixes before he miscued a lofted shot off Afzaal Haider in the 46th over. After Raina left, Dhoni needed little time to take over. He completed his fourth one-day hundred off 90 balls. Dhoni hit six boundaries and six sixes during his innings. Raina and Dhoni built on the platform provided by a fiery opening stand of 127 by Virendar Sehwag (78) and Gautum Gambhir (51) who also thrashed the inexperienced Hong Kong bowling. Sehwag smashed 13 boundaries and two sixes during his 44-ball knock, while Gambhir hit seven boundaries in his 54-ball knock. Hong Kong dismissed Sehwag, Gambhir and Rohit Sharma (11) within the space of 32 runs but their joy was shortlived as they ran into Raina and Dhoni. Hong Kong captain Tabark Dar said they were always in trouble against their stronger opponents. "We were in a catch up situation all the time. The pitch had nothing for bowlers and once they scored so many runs we were under trouble," said Dar. The previous best Asia Cup total was 343-5 by Pakistan against Hong Kong at Colombo in the 2004 Asia Cup. Medium pacer Najeeb Amar was the best among the Hong Kong bowlers with 2-40. SCOREBOARD INDIA: G. Gambhir c Lamsam b Amar     51 V. Sehwag c Irfan b Amar     78 R. Sharma run out     11 M. Dhoni not out     109 S. Raina c Irfan b Haider     101 R. Uthappa not out     15 EXTRAS: (b6, lb1, w2)     9 TOTAL: (for four wkts)     374 Did not bat: Yusuf Pathan, P. Chawla, P. Kumar, R. P. Singh, M. Gony Fall of wickets: 1-127 (Sehwag), 2-136 (Gambhir), 3-159 (Sharma), 4-325 (Raina) BOWLING: Haider     6-0-72-1 Irfan     6-0-53-0 (1w) Lamsam     2-0-27-0 Nadeem     8-0-52-0 Amar     10-0-40-2 Munir     10-0-55-0 Skhawat     8-0-68-0 (1w) Overs:     50 HONG KONG: Tabarak Dar st Dhoni b Chawla     21 Skhawat Ali lbw b Singh     0 J. Atkinson c and b Yusuf     23 Hussain Butt st Dhoni b Chawla     4 C. Kruger st Dhoni b Chawla     3 Irfan Ahmed run out     25 R. Lamsam run out     16 Munir Ahmed c Yusuf b Chawla     4 Najeeb Amar not out     13 Afzaal Haider b Sehwag     0 Nadeem Ahmed c Dhoni b Sehwag     0 EXTRAS: (lb2, w7)     9 TOTAL:     118 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Skhawat), 2-49 (Dar), 3-54 (Hussain), 4-54 (Atkinson), 5-67 (Kruger), 6-91 (Irfan), 7-99 (Munir), 8-109 (Lamsam), 9-118 (Haider) BOWLING: Kumar     5-0-21-0 (5w) Singh     4-0-19-1 Gony     5-1-11-0 (1w) Chawla     10-2-23-4 Yusuf     10-0-37-1 (1w) Sehwag     2.5-0-5-2 Overs:     36.5 Toss: India Result: India won by 256 runs Umpires: Tony Hill (NZL), Brian Jerling (RSA) TV umpire: Gamini Silva (SRI) Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS).

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