Tendulkar Slams Ton As India Beat New Zealnd In The Third One Dayer

India beat New Zealand by 58 runs in the third ODI of the five match series on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

The Indian batsmen batted well and India reached a total of 392 for four in 50 overs.

They were off a shake start as both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fell cheaply and India were 65 for two after 12.3 overs and the supporters thought that they were not in a good position.

But then Yuvraj singh came to bat and shared a 138 run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar. He made a quick 87 of just 60 balls and got out when India were 203 in 29.2 overs.

M.S Dhoni also made a fighting 68 of 58 balls but the main hero was Sachin Tendulkar who made a smashing 163 of 133 balls hitting sixteen fours and five sixes. Tendulkar's hundred came off 101 balls after which he just smashed fours and sixes. Unfortunately he swung the bat at a ball and accidentally pulled a stomach muscle. He was in immense pain but continued to bat. But in the forty fifth over he couldn't bat and went back to the dressing room. He retired beacause his injury was troubling him. He looked like he would break Saeed Anwar's record for the highest score in ODIs but unfortunately he couldn't.

Then came Suresh Raina. He just smashed all the balls bowled to him and made 38* of just 18 balls. He hit 5 sixes in his innings.

The Kiwi bowling was not good. Only three of the seven bowlers used grabbed wickets and the lowest economy rate recorded was 4.25 bu Jacob Oram.

New Zealand were under pressure and the knew they had to play quickly and sensibly to win the match.

They were off a flying start. Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum shared a partnership of 166 runs of just 132 balls before four wickets fell quickly.

McCullum made 71 of just 68 balls before he was run out because of miscommunication between him and Ryder. At 166 for no loss New Zealand looked like they woul win but after the fall of McCullum Ross Taylor(7), Martin Guptill(1) and Jesse Ryder(105 of 80) all lost their wickets quickly. The Kiwis were 188 for four. Then Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh got rid of Grant Elliott, Jacob Oram and Peter McGlashan and New Zealand were 218 for seven.  Soon Yuvraj Singh also got rid of Ian Butler.

New Zealand neede 120 runs of the last 10 overs with just two wickets in hand. Their required run rate was exactly 12.

Then Kyle Mills and Tim Southee played an excellent innings and kept to the run rate.

Then Munaf Patel was the forty fifth over when he bowled two waist high balls and was taken off the attack.

But the turning point came when Yusuf Pathan replaced Munaf patel and got rid of Kyle Mills and the Kiwi hopes were shattered. In the very next over Praveen Kumar got rid of Jeetan Patel and India emerged victorious. 

The bowling was not exactly well bowled but the fall of wickets helped India to win.

New Zealand fought back well and if thy had not lost wickets they had a very good chance of winning the match.