India rout Hong Kong by 256 runs

India rout Hong Kong by 256 runs Karachi, June 25 (Agencies): India launched their Asia Cup campaign in an emphatic manner, routing minnows Hong Kong by 256 runs in their opening Group B match here today. Electing to bat, India rattled up massive 374 for four, riding on centuries by Suresh Raina (101) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (unbeaten 109), practicing well ahead of clash against arch-rivals and hosts Pakistan tomorrow. They then bundled out the opponents for a paltry 118 in 36.5 overs to register their second best victory margin, the highest being 257-run win against Bermuda in 2007. Young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (4/23) weaved the spin magic, bowling with guile as he forced three stumpings by foxing batsmen with his intriguing line and length apart fro effecting a catch out. Hong Kong skipper Tabarak Dar (21), James Atkinson (23) and Irfan Ahmed (25) were the main contributors in their side’s dismal run-chase. Left-arm paceman R P Singh drew the first blood in his very first over, trapping Skhawat Ali for a nought, to begin the rot. Dar and Atkinson then put up a 45-run stand for the second-wicket but once the skipper was dismissed, Hong Kong batsmen lacked confidence in negotiating the Indian attack. The runs, whatever scored, came at an agonisingly slow pace as the 100 came up only in the 32nd over. Poor running added to the woes of Hong Kong as lack of understanding resulted in run-outs of Irfan and Roy Lamsam. Sehwag then closed the Hong Kong innings with two wickets on successive deliveries as he first clean bowled Afzaal Haider and then had Nadeem Ahmed caught behind the wickets, giving Dhoni his fourth victim of the innings.Earlier, had it not been for a 15-over spell in which just 47 runs were scored, the highest total in ODIs - Sri Lanka’s 443 for 9 against Netherlands - would have been under serious threat. India finally managed 374 for 4, with Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helping themselves to centuries against a hapless bowling attack after Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had built a wonderful platform. India’s innings revolved around two partnerships: the opening stand of 127 between Sehwag - who blitzed a 44-ball 78 - and Gambhir, while Raina - whose 66-ball hundred is the second-fastest by an India - and Dhoni amassed 166 for the fourth wicket, an Asia Cup record. Both partnerships came at more than eight an over, which put Rohit Sharma’s dismal effort - 11 off 29 balls - into perspective. Dhoni chose to bat, and the openers seemed intent on marking the 25th anniversary of India’s World Cup upset over West Indies in style.ScorecardIndia: Gambhir c Lamsam b Najeeb Amar 51, Sehwag c Irfan Ahmed b Najeeb Amar 78, RG Sharma run out 11, MS Dhoni not out 109, SK Raina c Irfan Ahmed b Afzaal Haider 101, V Uthappa not out 15. Extras (b 6, lb 1, w 2) 9 . Total (4 wickets; 50 overs) 374. Fall of wickets: 1-127, 2-136, 3-159, 4-325. Bowling : Afzaal Haider 6-0-72-1, Rfan Ahmed 6-0-53-0, JPR Lamsam 2-0-27-0, Nadeem Ahmed 8-0-52-0, Najeeb Amar 10-0-40-2, Munir Dar 10-0-55-0, Skhawat Ali 8-0-8-0Hong Kong: Tabarak Dar st Dhoni b Chawla 21, Skhawat Ali lbw b Singh 0, JJ Atkinson c & b Pathan 23, KH Butt st Dhoni b Chawla 4, CK Kruger st Dhoni b Chawla 3, Irfan Ahmed run out (Singh/Pathan) 25, JPR Lamsam run out (Dhoni/Singh) 16, Munir Dar c Pathan b Chawla 4, Najeeb Amar not out 13, Afzaal Haider b Sehwag 0, Nadeem Ahmed c Dhoni b Sehwag 0. Extras (lb 2, w 7) 9. Total (all out; 36.5 overs) 118. Fall of wickets 1-4, 2-49, 3-54, 4-54, 5-67, 6-91, 7-99, 8-109, 9-118, 10-118. Bowling: P Kumar 5-0-21-0, RP Singh 4-0-19-1, M Gony 5-1-11-0, PP Chawla 10-2-23-4, YK Pathan 10-0-37-1, V Sehwag 2.5-0-5-2.