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Last Update: Tuesday, March 20, 2007. 8:08am AEDT

Back to form ... India batsman Virender Sehwag celebrates his World Cup century (Getty Images)

Sehwag blasts India to record win

Virender Sehwag blazed an 87-ball 114 as India piled up a World Cup-record 5 for 413 to beat Bermuda by 257 runs in their World Cup game in Port of Spain this morning.

The Bermudans were all out for 156 in the 44th over.

India erased Sri Lanka's previous mark of 5 for 398 made against Kenya in 1996 after breaking their own one-day record of 6 for 373 scored against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup.

The 28-year-old Sehwag shook off his form slump in a 202-run second-wicket partnership with Sourav Ganguly, who hit 89, after Bermuda did India a favour by asking them to bat first in the Group B match.

It was Sehwag's first one-day century for nearly two years.

Yuvraj Singh then smashed 83 off 46 balls and Sachin Tendulkar 57 not out in a whirlwind 122-run fifth wicket stand as Indian batsmen vented their frustration after their shock defeat to Bangladesh at the weekend.

The last 10 overs netted 136 runs, Tendulkar hoisting seamer David Hemp over square leg for six to bring up the Cup record total and produce the first 400-run total in the tournament.

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200703/s1876297.htm

India smash Bermuda with record total

Reuters | Tuesday, 20 March 2007

UPDATED REPORT: PORT OF SPAIN: India crushed debutants Bermuda by the highest one-day international cricket victory margin of 257 runs in today's Group B World Cup match at Queen's Park Oval.

Bermuda could only respond with 156 all out after India scored a World Cup record 413 for five. The victory margin eclipsed the previous mark by one run. India's total was set up by Virender Sehwag who blazed an 87-ball 114. India also erased Sri Lanka's previous mark of 398 for five made against Kenya in 1996 after breaking their own one-day record of 373-6 scored against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup. Bermuda's reply was anchored by David Hemp's 76 not out. The 28-year-old Sehwag shook off his form slump in a 202-run second-wicket partnership with Saurav Ganguly, who hit 89, after Bermuda did India a favour by asking them to bat first in the Group B match. It was Sehwag's first one-day century for nearly two years. Yuvraj Singh then smashed 83 off 46 balls and Sachin Tendulkar 57 not out in a whirlwind 122-run fifth wicket stand as Indian batsmen vented their frustration after their shock defeat to Bangladesh on Saturday. The last 10 overs netted 136 runs, Tendulkar hoisting seamer David Hemp over square leg for six to bring up the Cup record total and produce the first 400-run total in the tournament. CONVINCING VICTORIES The 1983 champions need convincing victories against Bermuda and Sri Lanka – they meet on Friday – to avoid a first-round exit if three teams tie on points. Bermuda's 17-year-old paceman Malachi Jones struck with his first World Cup delivery to remove opener Robin Uthappa (3) in the second over. Uthappa edged a rising ball and Bermudan policeman Dwayne Leverock flung his 19-stone frame at slip to produce a stunning one-handed catch. Sehwag, coming in at No 3 amid calls for his sacking after making just one fifty in 14 innings, tore into the lightweight bowling to score his eighth one-day hundred, his first since April 2005. The Delhi batsman struck 17 fours and three sixes until he mistimed a heave off paceman Kevin Hurdle and holed out to Jones at deep mid-off.

Ganguly, 34, looked set for a Cup record fifth hundred until he was stumped against spinner Delyone Borden, who had dropped a stiff chance off Hurdle when he was on 14.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/3999208a10133.html

Sehwag century sets up record India win

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) - Virender Sehwag scored his first limited-overs hundred in two years to set up India's World Cup record 257-run win over Bermuda on Monday.

Sehwag's belligerent 114 spurred an Indian innings that finished with a World Cup 50-over record total of 413 for five. Bermuda was then bowled out for 156 in 43.1 overs with five batsmen failing to get off the mark, giving India the biggest ever win in World Cups.

Australia held the previous mark for biggest victory, by 256 runs over Namibia in the 2003 World Cup.

The West Indies played Zimbabwe in Monday's other game.

India became the first team to surpass 400 runs in the World Cup as its batsmen sent the ball soaring over the fence for 18 sixes, surpassing Sri Lanka's 398-5 against Kenya at Kandy in 1996.

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India's previous best limited-overs total came in the 1999 World Cup match against Sri Lanka at Taunton, England, where it amassed 373-6.

The runaway win pulled India back into contention for a place in the Super 8s after a stunning five-wicket loss in its first Group B match to Bangladesh.

World Cup winner in 1983 and finalist in 2003, India must defeat Sri Lanka in its last preliminary round fixture Friday and then hope for other results to fall in place to advance to the second round.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh each go into their Wednesday match at 1-0.

Sehwag, 28, emerged from the leanest form of his career, during which he just had one half-century in 14 previous limited-overs internationals, by cracking three huge sixes and 17 boundaries off 87 deliveries.

Sehwag featured in a 202-run second-wicket stand with Sourav Ganguly, who fell 11 runs short of becoming the first batsman to post five World Cup centuries.

Ganguly scored 89 from 114 balls, including two sixes and six boundaries after getting a reprieve when he was dropped on 14.

His opening partner Robin Uthappa departed for three, giving 17-year-old Malachi Jones a wicket with his first World Cup delivery. The emotion was too much for Jones, who was moved to tears as his teammates joined him in celebration.

Sehwag blasted 11 boundaries to make his first 50 off 43 deliveries, and then accelerated to reach triple-figures off another 38 balls. He fell to a miscued shot against seamer Kevin Hurdle to be caught by Jones at mid-off.

Ganguly missed the line of a delivery from off-spinner Delyone Borden and was stumped by Dean Minors, who had muffed another chance to stump Ganguly earlier in the over.

Mahendra Dhoni made a cameo 29 before the most productive phase of the innings came through a rapid 122-run partnership off 62 balls between left-hander Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar.

Singh hammered seven sixes and three boundaries to blaze 83 off 43 deliveries. Singh fell in the 49th over, but his stroke play even eclipsed star batsman Tendulkar, who finished on 57 not out.

Bermuda's only professional player, Glamorgan left-hander David Hemp, scored an unbeaten 76, but wickets tumbled at the other end.

Seamer Ajit Agarkar and leg-spinner Anil Kumble each returned figures of 3-38.

Virender Sehwag

http://www.tsn.ca/headlines/news_story/?ID=200784

India bounces back

Sportal

India has put its humiliating loss to Bangladesh behind it by belting Bermuda from pillar to post in a 257 run victory. Still smarting from its weekend loss, India set aside its disappointing pre-World Cup form by smashing a tournament record score of five for 413 from its 50 overs, with Virender Sehwag belting 114. Bermuda, on the other hand, was all out for 156 from 44 overs, with David Hemp being the only batsman to offer any resistance as he put together an unbeaten 76 from his 105 balls. Earlier in the day, a sizzling double century stand between Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly helped India compile its mammoth total. Sehwag, in particular, was on song with the willow, notching up 17 fours and three sixes before Kevin Hurdle nabbed a catch to see him on his way. Ganguly, meanwhile, was looking increasingly comfortable on 89until being stumped after attempting to charge Delyone Borden. However, despite his clear disappointment, the damage was already done and quick-fire contributions from Yuvraj Singh (83 off 46 balls) and Sachin Tendulkar (57 off 29 balls) ensured a difficult target for Bermuda. The Bermudan chase could not have got off to a worse start though, with India's Zaheer Khan taking openers Oliver Pitcher (0) and Stephen Outerbridge (9) before Hemp and Delyone Borden (13) started to repair the damage. Yet three wickets to India's Anil Kumble and Ajit Agarkar ensured an easy win for the beaten finalists from the last World Cup. http://www.sportal.co.nz/cricket.asp?i=news&id=96018

Last Update: Tuesday, March 20, 2007. 8:08am AEDT

Back to form ... India batsman Virender Sehwag celebrates his World Cup century (Getty Images)

Sehwag blasts India to record win

Virender Sehwag blazed an 87-ball 114 as India piled up a World Cup-record 5 for 413 to beat Bermuda by 257 runs in their World Cup game in Port of Spain this morning.

The Bermudans were all out for 156 in the 44th over.

India erased Sri Lanka's previous mark of 5 for 398 made against Kenya in 1996 after breaking their own one-day record of 6 for 373 scored against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup.

The 28-year-old Sehwag shook off his form slump in a 202-run second-wicket partnership with Sourav Ganguly, who hit 89, after Bermuda did India a favour by asking them to bat first in the Group B match.

It was Sehwag's first one-day century for nearly two years.

Yuvraj Singh then smashed 83 off 46 balls and Sachin Tendulkar 57 not out in a whirlwind 122-run fifth wicket stand as Indian batsmen vented their frustration after their shock defeat to Bangladesh at the weekend.

The last 10 overs netted 136 runs, Tendulkar hoisting seamer David Hemp over square leg for six to bring up the Cup record total and produce the first 400-run total in the tournament.

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200703/s1876297.htm

India pummel Bermuda

413/5 against Bermuda: Cup record yes, but have to get past Lanka

Ajay S Shankar

Port of spain, Trinidad & tobago: As Virender Sehwag squeezed out that one run to score his first century in the last 15 months, millions of us would have looked up to the heavens along with him, thank whoever up there had finally made it happen. But then, some of us would have also looked down on the scoreboard and read this little word on the top of the team sheet: Bermuda. Yes, it was the Sehwag that we all knew once. The fours came in a torrent, the sixes in big bursts, he was toying around with the bowlers as if they were from a lower division Ranji side. But wait, weren't they? You would have to nod your head to that even if grudgingly. Despite that searing 87-ball 114, loaded with 17 fours, three sixes, and every shot in the Najafgarh muscleman's book — except for that slash over third man, which he seems to have cut out — the verdict on Sehwag will have to wait. Till Friday, when Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, and Muthiah Muralitaharan take over from the bunch who were turning their arms over for the first time in a World Cup — remember, we still have to beat Sri Lanka. Still, you can't but help by heave a small sigh of relief that Sehwag, asked to give up his opening slot and come in at No 3 this time, did actually get those runs on the board. You can't help but hope, and pray, that this would be the turning point of what might just be India's first step back from the edge of this tournament. Ask Yuvraj Singh, who came up with a mind-boggling 83 runs in just 46 balls, with seven stunning sixes to power India to 413 for five, their highest ever one-day score, their first 400-plus, the highest for any team in any World Cup. But Sehwag, who set it all up, would not give us a clear answer. In the beginning, when he slashed twice at slow, wide balls, lucky this day to miss the edge — will Sri Lanka let him escape? Then, when he swished again on 96, steepled another shot just over cover on 97, scrambled back to his crease in time on 99 — will the nerves hold four days later? In between, though, the 29-year-old had the weak Indian network in the stands more than something to SMS home about. Two sixes in one over, three crashing fours in another, through midwicket, through covers, over long-on, over extra-cover. Thankfully, he managed to cover up for the bizarre struggle that was unfolding at the other end. Sourav Ganguly was struggling to get to the ball, bogged down in a strange world of his own. At the end of the 15th over was over, he had crawled to just 11. At 14, he popped up a catch to long-on that was dropped. Finally, in the 19th over, he got it right with a huge six off burly left-arm spinner Dwayne Leverock, and followed it up with another one over later. Dada finally fell for 89, but showed with that angry slash in the air after getting missing a lollypop from off-spinner Charles Borden that this was far below par, by his standards. Nobody else was complaining, though, the two had put up 202 runs in 178 balls. And Bermuda was going, going, and finally gone thanks to Yuvraj and that 122-run partnership off a mere 62 balls with Sachin Tendulkar. India had piled up a mountain of runs, and and more importantly, cranked up the run rate, which is so crucial to their survival in the Caribbean this week. There was a brief flicker of hope, some humour, for the island nation of 65,000 though. At the very beginning of the Indian innings, in the first ball of the second over. That was when 120 kgs, in the form of Leverock, the prison warden-turned-left arm spinner, took off with a superhuman effort, stuck his right hand out, and latched on to an edge from a stunned Robin Uthappa. India 3/1, and you could hear the sniggers all around. Would Bermuda actually do a Bangladesh now? But Sehwag quickly turned that into a cruel joke on the coconut island, splicing their bowling open, and draining the soul out of their bouncy campaign. Looking back on the Bangladesh defeat, coach Greg Chappell had said yesterday, "Now, we face a challenge ahead of us. That was what the World Cup was always going to be. We knew that there might come a situation where we would encounter a lot of matches that were going to be must-wins. From our point of view, it has started too early Being scared is not going to help us. We must concentrate on playing good cricket, not worry about the outcomes." He went on: "There are some issues that need to be discussed. We need to get back on track and start putting ourselves in the same frame of mind as in the last two series, which was being relaxed and confident. We have been in such situations before and bounced back. This side has tremendous resilience, as we have seen in the past."

Today, he will be the first to admit that the Bermuda game was just a tiny step in that direction. He knows, Sri Lanka's waiting around the corner

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/26158.html

India maul Bermuda, pile up World Cup record total of 413 for 5 UNI

Port of Spain, March 19 Riding on Virender Sehwag's blazing 87-ball 114 and his 202-run second wicket partnership with Sourav Ganguly, India powered to a World Cup record total of 413 for 5 against Bermuda in their crucial second Group B match at Queen's Park Oval here today.

India thus erased the 11-year record of 398 for five set by Sri Lanka against Kenya at Kandy in 1996 World Cup.

A record-equalling 18 sixes flew into the stands all around the Park as the Indians posted an astonishing run rate of 8.28 per over, never achieved before in the World Cup history. Of them, Yuvraj Singh struck seven, Sachin Tendulkar four, Sehwag three, Ganguly two and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rahul Dravid one each, with the skipper finishing off the innings with an on-drive shot over mid-on. This was Sehwag's eighth century in one-day internationals and his first in nearly two years.

http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=032035

19/03/2007 19:36 - (SA)

News24/AP