India 271 for 2 (39.3 overs; Sehwag 126, Ganguly 117*) beat England 269 for 7 (50 overs; Blackwell 82, Knight 50) by 8 wickets
Scorecard

A spectacular, unforgettable assault from Virender Sehwag was the highlight as India thrashed England comprehensively at the Premadasa Stadium. Their eight-wicket victory, achieved with over ten overs to spare, sets up a semi-final date with South Africa here on Wednesday.

Sehwag, 24, leathered a glorious 126 off just 104 balls, with some of the cleanest strokes imaginable, as India roared to 271 for 2 off 39.3 overs, the highest total batting second to win a one-day international here. It was utter carnage.

India's innings actually started fairly sedately. On three, Sehwag offered a quarter-chance to Nick Knight at second slip - and then he exploded. Andy Caddick disappeared for 38 off three overs, including a slashed six over third man. All the bowlers were demolished, but Caddick and Ashley Giles - whose four overs went for 31 - were a particularly miserable pair.

Sehwag's innings had everything: kitchen-sink square-drives, effortless pushes to long-off and long-on, whips through midwicket that might have come straight from the revolving door of Mohammad Azharuddin, all washed down with a hint of contempt. It was the performance of a batsman touched by greatness.

His century came up off 77 balls; it was the slower of his two at this level. He added 192 with Sourav Ganguly, a record opening partnership in ODIs against England, before scuffing a straight-drive straight back to Ian Blackwell. VVS Laxman then ran himself out (200 for 2), but Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar finished the kill. In the circumstances, Ganguly's 19th one-day hundred - only Tendulkar has more - might have gone unnoticed, had he not gone from 94 to 100 with a monstrous six off Blackwell, and had he not finished the match by walloping 27 off nine balls.

Though it could not prevent a thrashing, England's total of 269 for 7 was something of a minor miracle after a quite appalling start left them 7 for 2 in the sixth over. Marcus Trescothick (0) played and missed at virtually everything before nicking his eighth ball to slip (2 for 1), and Nasser Hussain top-edged a pull to end a manic 11-ball 1 in which he was dropped, had a row with Zaheer Khan, and almost ran out Nick Knight.

Ronnie Irani showed England how it should be done, batting with purpose and controlled aggression for 37, before he missed a straight one from Anil Kumble (80 for 3). It was a late decision, even by Steve Bucknor's standards - Irani had almost completed a leg-bye - but it was also the correct one.

Knight ploughed on to his first fifty in 11 one-day internationals, before chipping Yuvraj Singh needlessly to deep mid-on (127 for 4), and Owais Shah's classy 34 ended when he nicked Kumble to Dravid, who took a sharp catch (153 for 5).

It was about the only good thing Dravid did with the gloves on. His wicketkeeping was extremely poor, and it was a cruel irony to see one of the world's most graceful batsmen cut such a clumsy figure. It was not far removed from public humiliation. The poor bloke didn't even get the chance to atone with the bat.

After Shah's dismissal, Blackwell piled on 104 in 15 overs with Alec Stewart, a record for England's sixth wicket against India. In only his second one-dayer, Blackwell was a revelation. He whacked three big sixes - two picked up over midwicket, the other driven over long-off - and judged his acceleration perfectly to reach 82 off only 68 balls. He was weary by the end, and his cheeks were even redder than usual when he was run out in the final over. But he made his mark on proceedings, even if he was the only Englishman who will remember this day with anything resembling fondness.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd