Yuvraj spurs India’s victory

Yuvraj’s hundred off 112 balls was the central pivot around which Team India revolved on a sultry Chennai afternoon,a boost that took the side to 268 in 49.1 overs. His first ton since he had struck one against the same opposition at Kingston in June 2009 was very unlike any of his previous 12 ODI centuries. Drained by dehydration and the overwhelming heat,Yuvraj played the waiting game,seeing off a period of tight bowling during the middle-overs.

But despite the drawbacks,the southpaw — who had scored three fifties before this knock in this World Cup — managed to clinch his first three-figure score in his third quadrennial event,after skipper M S Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first. Walking in to bat at 51/2,Yuvraj cracked the dangerous Ravi Rampaul — who had accounted for both Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir — to the mid-wicket boundary to open his account,before driving Andre Russell through the covers in the following over to get both the runs and his feet flowing. But the Yuvraj show stopped when he was dropped by West Indies skipper Darren Sammy twice in the space of two overs.

Happy to make his chances count,Yuvraj provided the stability to the middle-order,milking singles and doubles on either side of the Chepauk wicket. But exchanging strike and running hard with Virat Kohli — a junior by nearly eight years — soon took a toll under the burning sun,as a furiously perspiring Yuvraj was often seen crouching at the non-strikers end with stomach cramps,quenching his miseries away with mutli-coloured vitamin bottles.

But even dehydration couldn’t clog Yuvraj’s will to succeed on Sunday,as he brought up his 13th ODI century with a healthy strike rate. The innings saw just 10 boundaries and two sixes,before a tired and drained Yuvraj was caught and bowled by Pollard for 113,dismissed while looking to give Team India the momentum during the batting powerplay.

Fit and refreshed after the dinner break,Yuvraj put a halt to the West Indian flow with two wickets — foxing wicketkeeper Devon Thomas into getting stumped for 2,and dismissing the free swinging Russell for a duck.