New Delhi: Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir call Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla home but it was only on Friday that their international record at this venue took a turn for the better. The home-boys put together 209 runs for the 3rd wicket to help India win the second ODI against England and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Gautam Gambhir came to the middle first when an edgy Parthiv Patel was sent back by Tim Bresnan. The bowler made his intent of defending England's total of 237 clear when he followed it up with the wicket of the other opener – Ajinkya Rahane.

Kohli partnered Gambhir with the hosts on 29 for 2. Familiar conditions and an expectant crowd greeted both batsmen and they did not disappoint. Although Gambhir took some time to judge England's tactics, he soon unleashed a flurry of trademark drives that fired the ball beyond the boundary. Kohli also managed to smash a few before overtaking his partner and completing a half-century.

The understanding between the two was immaculate and the strike was rotated with as much finesse as gaps were targeted for fours. Both batsman hardly played an aerial shot but managed to keep the required run-rate down to the minimum. Kohli went onto complete a well-deserved century, his 7th in the fifty-over format, and was adjudged man-of-the-match.

Considering that Gambhir's previous best in ODI here was 28 against Netherlands in a match where Kohli scored 12, fans here can expect a lot more from them, now that  they have blunted a much stronger bowling attack than Netherlands.