Asia Cup 2018: Shikhar Dhawan scores 14th ODI ton as India pile big score against Hong Kong

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan registered his 14^th ODI century, with a hundred against Hong Kong during India’s 2018 Asia Cup opening Group A match against Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Dhawan had struggled for form against England both in the One-Day Internationals and Test series. While in the three ODI matches he could only muster 120 runs, in eight Test match innings the 32-year-old could only make 162 runs, without even a half-century to his name.

But on Tuesday, the southpaw looked a different player altogether, scoring a fine 127 off 120 balls that included 15 fours and two sixes to the fence.

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Hong Kong skipper Anshuman Rath won the toss and sent India to bat first on a dry pitch that looked conducive towards spinners. The defending champions started well and played judiciously, scoring from freebies from the Hong Kong fast bowlers. India made 40 from seven overs. But the introduction of spinner Ehsan Khan paid dividends as the offie picked up Indian captain Rohit Sharma for 23 runs.

Sharma departed after offering a catch to Nixakart Khan while trying to score big. Dhawan then together with Ambati Rayudu reconstructed India’s innings. The two stitched a partnership of 116 runs for the second wicket before Rayudu departed for 60. Dhawan, however, went on to score his century in the 36th over engaging in another 79-run partnership with Dinesh Karthik (33).

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He was finally dismissed by Kinchit Shah in the 41st over while Dhawan was trying to increase the run-tempo. His dismissal, however, triggered a mini-collapse as two runs later wicket-keeper MS Dhoni also departed for a golden duck edging an Ehsan Khan ball to Scott McKechnie. Karthik then followed suit and soon from being at 240/2 and in a favourable position in setting up a big target for Hong Kong, India were reduced to 248/5 with seven overs to play.

New pair of Kedhar Jadhav and Bhubaneshwar Kumar (9) then stayed together for another 29 runs, before the latter also departed giving Kinchit his third wicket of the match. Jadhav remained not-out on run-a-ball 28 as India managed to score 285 for the loss of seven wickets.

Image Source: Indian Express