Tendulkar celebrates his ton in Hyderabad

India qualified for the final of the tri-series after beating New Zealand by 145 runs in Hyderabad.

Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag both hit centuries as India ran out easy winners.

India play Australia in the final in Calcutta on Tuesday.

New Zealand, who were all out for 208, were always going to struggle after India scored a whopping 353-5 in their 50 overs.

Tendulkar (102) and Sehwag, a career-best130 put on 182 runs for the first wicket.

It was Tendulkar's 36th one-day ton and Sehwag's sixth and Rahul Dravid weighed in with an unbeaten fifty too.

Scott Styris was the pick of the Kiwi bowlers with 2-46 but the New Zealand attack was punished.

TVS CUP TABLE Australia P6 W5 L1 NR0 Pts28 India P6 W2 L3 NR1 Pts16 NZ P6 W1 L5 NR1 Pts10

Daryl Tuffey went for 69 runs in nine overs with only the wicket of VVS Laxman to show for his efforts as India notched up the 10th highest score in one-day cricket.

New Zealand suffered a blow before the start of the game when captain Stephen Fleming had to pull out with an abdominal strain. Chris Cairns deputised.

India won the toss and batted first and did not hang around, scoring briskly.

Chris Harris made the breakthrough for New Zealand when he dismissed Tendulkar.

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Sourav Ganguly was next to go after a cameo 33 and Yuvraj Singh again failed with the bat, with a paltry seven.

But Dravid provided some late fireworks with the bat, with a fantastic 22-ball fifty, including five fours and three sixes.

New Zealand got off to the worst possible start when Chris Nevin was bowled by Agit Agarkar for one run.

Chris Harris was out lbw for the same score and once all-rounders Scott Styris (54) and Cairns (23) were out, New Zealand's hopes ended.

India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Murali Kartik.