India double up against Hong Kong

Suresh Raina confidently struck his first one-day century © Getty Images

Suresh Raina smashed his maiden one-day international hundred and Mahendra Singh Dhoni added a ton of his own as India notched a mammoth 256-run win against Hong Kong to open their Asia Cup campaign.

Dhoni (109 not out) and 21-year-old Raina (101) were two of four India batsmen to pass 50, with openers Gautam Gambhir (51) and Virender Sehwag (78) notching half-centuries as India posted 374 for four in their Group B match.

Teenage leg-spinner Piyush Chawla then grabbed four wickets to complete a comfortable first victory for India in Group A.

Irfan Ahmed top scored for Hong Kong with 25 as the minnows were bowled out for 118 in the 37th over.

Skhawat Ali was the first batsman to fall, in the second over, when he was trapped plumb in front by RP Singh for a duck.

Tabarak Dar and 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Jamie Atkinson then put on 45 for the second wicket before the former became Chawla’s first victim, stumped by Dhoni for 21.

Hussain Butt fell to the same combination before Atkinson (23) offered a simple return catch to Irfan Pathan to leave Hong Kong struggling at 54 for four.

Chawla induced his third stumping of the innings soon after when South African-born right-hander Courtney Kruger misjudged a fierce leg-break.

The wickets continued to fall amidst a trickle of runs with Ahmed providing a couple of highlights with five boundaries in his 43-ball innings.

He finally departed attempting a quick single with RP Singh making good ground at square-leg before firing a throw to Pathan to break the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

Virender Sehwag also cashed in with an electric 78 from just 44 balls against minnows Hong Kong

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Sehwag finished the match with two wickets in consecutive balls, bowling Afzaal Haider before last man Nadeem Ahmed edged through to Dhoni.

Earlier, Gambhir (51 off 54) began the onslaught with a pair of boundaries in the very first over, but it was Sehwag who dominated an opening stand of 127.

He cracked 78 off 44 balls, including consecutive fours and a six off one Irfan Ahmed over, before becoming Najeeb’s first victim.

Gambhir followed soon after, spooning a Najeeb delivery to Roy Lamsam at square-leg, and Rohit Sharma could only add 11 before being run-out, but that brought Raina and Dhoni together.

Raina out-scored his senior partner, plundering five sixes and seven fours in his 68-ball innings.

Indeed, he pilfered three maximums and a boundary off one Skhawat over which went for 25.

He brought up his century off 65 balls with a six over long-leg, but perished to Afzaal Haider (1-72) soon after.

Dhoni took over the role of chief aggressor, and duly notched his ton - helping himself to six fours and half a dozen sixes in his 96-ball innings - with Robin Uthappa adding an unbeaten 15 off nine at the end.

Slow left-armer Najeeb Amar was the only Hong Kong bowler to offer any real control, returning an impressive 2-40 off his 10 overs.

Hong Kong lost their first match on Tuesday by 155 runs to Pakistan.