M.S. Dhoni scored an unbeaten 102

Mumbai: Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni powered India Senior to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over India B with a rollicking 187-run stand in the Challenger Trophy tie here Tuesday.

Lefthanded Dhawan and Dhoni combined forces in splendid fashion after a cautious start to rattle up runs at over seven-an-over and made light of the stiff asking rate of 5.52 set by India B who had piled up 275 in 50 overs after choosing to bat first.

Chasing India B?s score of 275, made mainly with the help of fine half-centuries by VVS Laxman (67) and Sridharan Sriram (52), India Senior achieved the target in only 46.4 overs and kept their hopes alive of entering the final on February 10.

The Sourav Ganguly-led Senior had lost the opening clash to India A, led by Rahul Dravid, by four wickets last night.

Sourav Ganguly and Ranadeb Bose warm up before Tuesday?s match in Mumbai

Dhawan compiled a stroke-filled 126 in 124 balls, studded with 16 fours and 2 sixes. But it was the 23-year-old Dhoni who set the Wankhede Stadium alight with his audacious stroke-play in making a rapid-fire 87 off 76 balls before retiring to the pavilion with a bout of leg cramps.

He later came back to replace Sourav when the latter got out for 27, with the score on 246, and remained unbeaten till the end. His swashbuckling knock of 102 included 10 fours and 4 sixes and came of only 96 balls. Fittingly he struck the winning hit too, a boundary, and also completed his century.

In the period before retiring to get some treatment for cramps, the wicket-keeper-batsman had lit up the stands and entertained the 5000-strong crowd with punishing strokes, quite a few of them unorthodox like the flat-batted swats. (PTI)