India makes merry

Indian skipper Rahul Dravid with the Royal Stag Trophy.-PTI

India had a smooth sailing against Scotland in the one-off one-dayer in Glasgow.

Indian skipper

Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa notched up half centuries as India beat Scotland by seven wickets in the rain-reduced Royal Stag one-dayer in Glasgow.

Chasing the revised target of 209, Gambhir remained unbeaten on 85 while Uthappa scored 55 as India reached to the finishing line in 39.5 overs and warmed up for the bigger challenge of facing England in the seven-match ODI series.

Yuvraj Singh exhibited an array of strokes while playing a cameo of 38 runs in 28 balls.

Put in to bat, Scotland made 203 for nine in 46 overs in the rain-curtailed match with Gavin Hamilton and Neil McCallum putting up a solid 82-run fifth wicket stand after being reduced to 49 for four.

Munaf Patel, who missed the Ireland one-dayers and the Test series against England due to injury, picked up two wickets for 37 runs. He bowled with a changed action from a shortened run-up.

Rudra Pratap Singh continued with his good form of the Test series to claim two for 26 while Ajit Agarkar and Piyush Chawla also grabbed two wickets each. The Indian openers put on a solid foundation of 104 runs in 20 overs and thwarted some good bowling from the host.

Uthappa was his usual self as he hit eight boundaries and one six in a 62-ball stay.

Play began under overcast conditions and, after Rahul Dravid won the toss and fielded, the Indians exploited the cloud cover.

Agarkar started with three wides but then struck the first blow in the fifth over removing Poonia leg before. R. P. Singh had the other opener Watts caught at the wicket in the eighth over of the innings.

Scotland skipper Ryan Watson, who batted number three, then played a breezy little knock scoring 24 off 32 balls with two fours before nicking Munaf Patel to the wicketkeeper.

McCallum batted with controlled aggression to score 41 off 65 balls with three fours and one huge six off Ramesh Powar before falling to leg spinner Piyush Chawla.

Hamilton, who batted with a lot of calm and composure, kept guiding the middle order before the rain came.

The scores

Scotland: D. Watts c Dhoni b R. P. Singh 6; N. Poonia lbw b Agarkar 1; R. Watson c Chawla b R. P. Patel 24; R. Haq c Chawla b Singh 11; G. Hamilton b Agarkar 44; N. McCallum c Dhoni b Chawla 41; C. Smith lbw b Chawla 4; C. Wright (run out) 37; J. Blain c Chawla b Patel 4; P. Hoffmann (not out) 5; J. Nel (not out) 0; Extras (b-2, lb-2, w-20, nb-2) 26; Total (for nine wkts in 46 overs) 203.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-22, 3-49, 4-49, 5-131, 6-146, 7-178, 8-198, 9-199.

India bowling: Agarkar 9-0-54-2, R. P. Singh 9-0-26-2, Patel 9-0-36-2, Chawla 10-0-42-2, Powar 9-0-41-0.

India: R. Uthappa b Wright 55; G. Gambhir (not out) 85; D. Karthik c McCallum b Haq 14; Yuvraj Singh b Blain 38; R. Dravid (not out) 10; Extras (lb-2, w-8) 10; Total (for three wkts in 39.5 overs) 212.

Fall of wickets: 1-104, 2-137, 3-198.

Scotland bowling: Hoffmann 9-0-43-0, Blain 8.5-2-41-1, Nel 6-0-48-0, Wright 10-1-46-1, Haq 6-0-32-1.