Yuvraj called his comeback 150 as one of the best.
Veteran Yuvraj Singh termed his knock of 150 as "one of the best" in his 16-year international career. "Probably, one of my best innings. The last time I got a hundred was the 2011 World Cup. I am very happy with the innings. We were trying to get a partnership. I just wanted to play down the ground and not take much risk. I have been hitting the ball well in the whole domestic season," said Yuvraj during the innings break.
Yuvraj said that he had told batting coach Sanjay Bangar that he will go for big shots.
"I had a word with Sanjay Bangar, I told him the way I am hitting the ball I will go big. With the five fielder rule, mid-on, mid-off is up, the wicket was not [helpful] for the seamers after the first 10 overs," said Yuvraj. He was all praise for former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who also helped himself to a hundred. "Dhoni has been a sensational captain for India. When Mahi is not captaining, he will bat freely. Hopefully, if we take early wickets we can win the game."
Here's how the cricketing world reacted:
Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned back the clock with sublime centuries as India recovered handsomely to smash 381 for six in the second One-day International against England here today.
With India in trouble at 25 for three, Yuvraj (150 off 127 balls) and Dhoni (134 off 122) joined hands to forge a 256-run partnership to put their team in a position of strength from a precarious one.
The two veterans used their years of experience to turn the tide for India after England opted to field at a packed Barabati Stadium.
Yuvraj was on fire from ball one and hammered 21 fours and three sixes in his career-best knock in ODIs. The southpaw, brought back into the national team, could not have silenced his detractors in a better way as got to his 14th ODI hundred, which was his first since the 2011 World Cup.
It was a typical innings from Dhoni, who took his time initially before cutting loose to tear the opposition bowlers apart.
Dhoni too crossed the three figure mark after a while with his last hundred coming way back in 2013 when he struck an unbeaten 139 against Australia at Mohali.
He ended up hammering 10 fours and half a dozen sixes, scoring his 10th ODI hundred in the process and first since handing over captaincy to Virat Kohli.
It was raining sixes and fours especially in the last 10 overs with India lapping up 120 runs.
England will have to bat out of their skins to overcome the imposing target.
India lead the three-match series 1-0.
Limited overs stalwarts Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni rolled back the years to smash scintillating centuries and power India to a commanding 381 for six in the second one-day international against England on Thursday.
Put into bat, the hosts were reeling at 25 for three at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium when the duo, with the experience of 580 one-dayers between them, staged a spectacular recovery with an epic 256-run partnership spread over 38-odd overs.
The early dismissals of the openers or the rare failure by home captain Virat Kohli mattered little as Yuvraj and Dhoni first steadied the ship before exhibiting the kind of shot-making which comes naturally to them.
Left-handed Yuvraj, one of the cleanest strikers of the ball, hammered a career-best 150 off 127 balls, a sizzling knock studded with 21 boundaries and three sixes.
Dhoni, who relinquished limited-overs captaincy earlier this month, made 134 off 122 balls, his 10th one-day century. His innings contained six sixes, including three in a Liam Plunkett over.
Paceman Chris Woakes emerged from the batting carnage with his reputation intact, having claimed four of the six Indian wickets while Plunkett got the other two, having bled 91 runs in his 10 overs.
Beaten in the Pune run-feast, England must win the contest to keep the three-match series alive. Kolkata hosts the third and final one-dayer on Sunday, before the teams play three Twenty20 Internationals.
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