Mahendra Singh Dhoni slammed a swashbuckling unbeaten 72 as India showed great character and self-belief to script a sensational five-wicket victory and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match one-day series in Lahore on Monday.
Chasing a stiff target of 289, Sachin Tendulkar laid the platform with a classy 95 before Dhoni took centrestage with his audacious strokeplay to take India home with 14 balls to spare in a thrilling encounter under lights at the Gaddafi stadium. Dhoni’s 46-ball knock and his 102-run association for the sixth wicket with Yuvraj Singh (79 not out) turned the tide for India who were in a spot of bother at 190 for five at one stage and needed more than seven runs an over. The Indian dressing room erupted in joy as Dhoni hooked Abdul Razzak to the boundary to give India the winning runs, proving that they had the batting depth to chase huge totals.