<p>Under-fire batsman Virat Kohli finally came good and the bowlers delivered to help India beat Middlesex by 95 runs in the the 50-over practice game at Lord’s here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chasing a target of 231 runs, the hosts were bowled out for 135 runs (39.5 overs) with youngster Karn Sharma picking three for 14.<br /><br />Earlier, Kohli and Ambati Rayudu hit half-centuries before India were dismissed for 230 runs in 44.2 overs.<br /><br />Kohli scored 71 runs off 75 balls, with eight fours and a six, while Rayudu retired out after scoring 72 runs, off 82 balls, with eight fours. The two batsmen put up 104 runs for the fourth wicket after the top-order was dismissed cheaply once again.<br /><br />India made first use of the wicket in this one-off practice match before the first ODI in Bristol on August 25.<br /><br />Kohli led the side in the absence of MS Dhoni, though the team-sheets listed that all 17 players were once included in the match, with 11 batting and 11 fielding.<br /><br />Shikhar Dhawan (10) and Rohit Sharma (8) were united at the top for India as they made a brisk start, scoring 19 runs in the first three overs. But then the brakes were applied as the two batsmen were dismissed within ten runs of each other.<br /><br />Dhawan was caught at short mid-on in an attempt to clear the in-field while Sharma top-edged a catch to third man, albeit at the shortest boundary on the ground.<br />Ajinkya Rahane (14) came in to bat at number four and he got a little cameo-start in, but then holed out at mid-off, again looking to clear the in-field.<br /><br />India were struggling at 52/3 in the 14th over when Kohli and Rayudu came together. They looked comfortable at the crease, although the stand-in skipper still seemed rusty from his poor show in the Test series prior.</p>
<p>Under-fire batsman Virat Kohli finally came good and the bowlers delivered to help India beat Middlesex by 95 runs in the the 50-over practice game at Lord’s here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chasing a target of 231 runs, the hosts were bowled out for 135 runs (39.5 overs) with youngster Karn Sharma picking three for 14.<br /><br />Earlier, Kohli and Ambati Rayudu hit half-centuries before India were dismissed for 230 runs in 44.2 overs.<br /><br />Kohli scored 71 runs off 75 balls, with eight fours and a six, while Rayudu retired out after scoring 72 runs, off 82 balls, with eight fours. The two batsmen put up 104 runs for the fourth wicket after the top-order was dismissed cheaply once again.<br /><br />India made first use of the wicket in this one-off practice match before the first ODI in Bristol on August 25.<br /><br />Kohli led the side in the absence of MS Dhoni, though the team-sheets listed that all 17 players were once included in the match, with 11 batting and 11 fielding.<br /><br />Shikhar Dhawan (10) and Rohit Sharma (8) were united at the top for India as they made a brisk start, scoring 19 runs in the first three overs. But then the brakes were applied as the two batsmen were dismissed within ten runs of each other.<br /><br />Dhawan was caught at short mid-on in an attempt to clear the in-field while Sharma top-edged a catch to third man, albeit at the shortest boundary on the ground.<br />Ajinkya Rahane (14) came in to bat at number four and he got a little cameo-start in, but then holed out at mid-off, again looking to clear the in-field.<br /><br />India were struggling at 52/3 in the 14th over when Kohli and Rayudu came together. They looked comfortable at the crease, although the stand-in skipper still seemed rusty from his poor show in the Test series prior.</p>