Bangalore: Yuvraj Singh today staked claim for national team selection as he struck a brutal 89-ball 123 to lead India ‘A' to a formidable 312 for four from 42 overs in the first of the three-match unofficial ODI series against West Indies ‘A' here.
Yuvraj, who played his last international match in January, produced a sensational exhibition of strokeplay to tear apart the West Indies ‘A' bowlers as he struck eight fours and seven sixes in his scintillating innings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Mandeep Singh and Yusuf Pathan played perfect second fiddle to help themselves to 67 (78 balls; 7x4, 1x6) and 70 not out (32 balls; 4x4, 6x6) after West Indies ‘A' chose to field as the match was reduced to a 42-over-a-side affair after wet outfields forced its start to be delayed by one hour and 45 minutes.
Yuvarj, who had no match practice until now, was simply superb with his drives on the up and the pull shots which all came with impeccable placement and timing.
He treated the visiting team bowlers with disdain in the later part of his innings by unleashing his wide range of strokes in his entertaining innings.
The 31-year-old left-hander was though circumspect in the beginning as he took 39 balls to hit his first boundary and scored his fifty in 61 balls.
But, in the next 19 balls he raced to his century as a torrent of fours and sixes followed from his blade as the visiting bowlers had no clue how to contain him.
Yuvraj got able support from Mandeep, who shared a 1000-run stand for the third wicket with him before Yusuf, who is also looking for a national team comeback, gave him company for 125 runs for the fourth wicket from just 55 balls.
Yuvraj smote Nikita Miller for three sixes and a four to collect 23 runs in the 25th over to reach to 90 and then raised his 18th List A hundred in style with a six off Ronsford Beaton in the 38th over. He took 24 runs off that over with two sixes and three fours.
Yusuf took the score past 300 with a late flurry of fours and sixes after Yuvraj was out in the 40th over.
