Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni single-handedly resurrected India’s innings with a defiant unbeaten century as the hosts recovered from a top-order collapse to post a fighting 227/6 against Pakistan in the first cricket one-dayer here today.

Pacer Junaid Khan had justified his captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s decision to bowl first in damp conditions with a four-wicket haul, which cleaned up the Indian top order, before Dhoni (113 off 125 balls) got going and brought the home team back into the match.

The under-fire skipper, who also completed 7,000 ODI runs during the course of his innings, rescued the hosts with some fine support from Suresh Raina (43) and R. Ashwin (31 not out) down the order.

Dhoni and Ashwin shared the best-ever seventh-wicket partnership for India, adding 125 runs.

But to start with, it seemed like a nightmare unfolding for India with struggling opener Virender Sehwag becoming Junaid’s first victim.

The Delhi batsman, considered a game-changer for his ability to take the attack to the opposition, swung it Pakistan’s way after slogging for 11 balls to get four runs.

The right-hander, already under fire for failing repeatedly in the lost Test series against England, did his reputation no good by failing to pick a Junaid inswinger, which crashed into his middle and off stumps.

What followed was a procession of sorts as the top half of the Indian line-up made quick return to the dressing room.

Big guns such as Gautam Gambhir (8), Virat Kohli (0) and Yuvraj Singh (2) made blink-and-miss appearances as Junaid worked his magic, getting ample support from Mohammed Irfan and pace spearhead Umar Gul.

The big four of the Indian batting order were all bowled, three of them by Junaid, who seemed unplayable in the damp conditions due to overnight rain.

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