Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni help India end group stage of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe

Auckland: Suresh Raina’s magnificent century helped India beat Zimbabwe by six wickets in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 clash at Eden Park, Auckland. Raina stole Brendan Taylor’s thunder, who was playing his last match for Zimbabwe and marked the occasion with a great ton to help Zimbabwe post a strong 287. However, Raina and skipper MS Dhoni’s 196-run partnership helped India win the game after a few jitters in the middle. With this win, India remained at the top spot in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Points Table.

Chasing 288 to win, India had slumped to 92 for four in the 23rd over when their premier batsman, Virat Kohli, was bowled around his legs by Sikandar Raza. Dhoni then joined Raina as India’s asking rate kept soaring. There were times when it touched nine an over, but both batsmen showed the remarkable calm they are known to possess. They were helped by a few dropped chances as Hamilton Masakadza dropped Raina on 47. Later in the innings, Raina had been let off again when India were going for it in the last few overs.

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This is Raina’s fifth One-Day International (ODI) ton, but one that has come under pressure. Had India not fired in this game, there would have been question marks despite the victorious run preceding this game. Raina did not let the situation get to him and calmly got to his ton. Dhoni too got his half-century and kicked on as India sailed home.

The Indian top-order stuttered following some good performances in the last few games. Tinashe Panyangara had taken a few early wickets as the openers fell cheaply. There was pressure to begin with on India, but Zimbabwe’s inexperience showed as they lacked the punch to seal critical moments in the game. They might wonder what might have been.

Earlier, India had won the toss and chosen to bowl first, maintaining the unbeaten side. They also went on to bowl Zimbabwe out, marking the feat on six consecutive occasion in this World Cup. However, Taylor was the star of the Zimbabwe innings with his farewell ton. It was an innings to remember as he bid goodbye to international cricket in style.

To begin with, India’s bowlers started well, with Zimbabwe losing three wickets inside the first 11 overs. That is when Taylor and Sean Williams got together. They added a 93-run stand which helped lay the foundation for a big score. Both batsmen were sensible to start with and then attacked once the spinners came in force. Both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bore the brunt through the innings as they conceded 146 runs for one wicket in the 20 overs they bowled in tandem. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH

While Williams was dismissed for 50, Taylor carried on to score a sparkling hundred. The second half of his innings was feisty as he picked boundaries at will. There was emotion attached for it was his last international game. The crowd gave him a warm reception on his ton and once he was dismissed for 138, he waved to a crowd that had cheered him on through the day. Although Zimbabwe lost wickets after his fall, Raza’s combative 28 off 15 balls helped them push along. Ultimately, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 287, with the fast bowlers sharing the spoils with three wickets apiece.

Zimbabwe head home after a tough World Cup campaign, where they had some fleeting moments of success. Taylor will pack his bags and head to Nottinghamshire, bringing down curtains on a good international career. Meanwhile, India go to Melbourne to play Bangladesh in the quarter-final on Thursday. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage

Brief scores:

Zimbabwe 287 in 48.5 overs (Brendan Taylor 138, Sean Williams50; Mohammed Shami 3 for 48, Umesh Yadav 3 for 43, Mohit Sharma 3 for 48) lost to India 288 for 4 in 48.4 overs (Suresh Raina  110*, MS Dhoni 85*, Tinashe Panyangara 2 for 53) by 6 wickets.

Man of the Match: Suresh Raina

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(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)