Birmingham: India produced a clinical display to beat Bangladesh in a vigorous contest at Edgbaston Cricket Ground here on Tuesday. With the win, India entered the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 with 6 wins from 8 matches to their name.
Rohit Sharma did the star turn for the Men in Blue yet again. Sharma (104) became only the second batsman after Kumar Sangakkara to hit 4 hundreds in a single World Cup. KL Rahul hit 66 while Rishabh Pant smashed an enterprising 48 before Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball to ensure India reached the last-four with one game still left to play.
Chasing 315, Bangladesh were in the hunt till the 34th over but all their hopes were dashed when Shakib Al Hasan fell to Hardik Pandya. They are now out of the reckoning for the final four and could end Pakistan’s campaign at Lord’s on Friday.
Shakib fights for Tigers
Shakib held the key to a historic run chase for Bangladesh and even as wickets fell at the other end, the all-rounder led a spirited fight against India. But it wasn’t enough after Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das failed to make useful contributions.
Bangladesh made a promising enough start but Mohammed Shami made the first breakthrough to remove the dangerous Tamim Iqbal. Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah picked key wickets at key moments as well but Hardik Pandya’s variations and clever change in pace worked wonders for India.
Sabbir Rahman kept Bangladesh on course but Jasprit Bumrah returned for his final spell and removed him with his first ball. From thereon, there was only one winner: India.
Opening stand
Earlier, batting first on the same Edgbaston pitch on which they lost to England on Sunday, India threatened to run amok but were reigned in by Bangladesh, ending on 314/9 in their 50 overs.
Dropped on 9 by Tamim Iqbal near deep midwicket when he mistimed a pull shot off Mustafizur Rahman, Rohit Sharma clattered his way to his 26th ODI century, and fourth of this World Cup, to lay the foundations for what appeared to be another big India total. But Bangladesh hit back with four wickets inside ten overs, which included Rohit, KL Rahul (77), Virat Kohli (26) and Hardik Pandya (0) to ensure India didn’t race away to 350.
Mustafizur’s double-wicket maiden 39th over stemmed India’s charge and his overall 5/59 went a long way in checking India.
Pant shines
Rishabh Pant‘s career-best 48 and a brisk 35 from MS Dhoni gave India some impetus at the fag end of the innings.
Kohli winning the toss on a dry surface was a great way to start the game, and Rohit and Rahul immediately went about their business in laying India’s best opening stand of the World Cup. Bangladesh’s bowlers fed Rohit a steady stream of hit-me balls and he latched on with glee. The fourth ball of the match was pulled for six over square leg. In the fifth over, he used his feet to manufacture six over extra cover off Mohammad Saifuddin.
Mustafizur was slashed and steered wide of slip, Saifuddin thumped for consecutive fours past fine leg and into the gap between cover and mid-off. Shakib Al Hasan was heaved over midwicket for six to end a slow period of nine runs in four overs. Rohit’s half-century took 45 balls.
Rahul wasn’t as fluent but helped Rohit forge a big stand. He drove well, defended even better and when the chances came, Rahul twirled with exaggeration to keep runs ticking. He reached his half-century in 57 deliveries. On 56, Rahul was duped in flight by Mosaddek Hossain, going back and looking on as the ball nearly popped back to the bowler.
‘Fizzy’ contains India
Mustafizur Rahman’s brilliant spell of 5/59 in ten overs helped Bangladesh check India’s progress.
Rahul was 71 off 85 balls when Rohit departed, and didn’t add much. On 77, he steered Rubel Hossain to a diving Mushfiqur Rahim behind the stumps.
Kohli unfurled a few jaw-dropping shots—a push for four off Rubel followed by a dismissive whip to Shakib, but was disgusted with himself when, on 26, he pulled a short ball from Mustafizur to the fielder stationed at deep midwicket. Then Mustafizur got Hardik Pandya for zero, poking and nicking to Soumya at slip. Two wickets for no runs.
No matter to Pant, who proceeded to hit Saifuddin for three fours in a row: past extra-cover, over midwicket and behind point. Though he had a few iffy moments, Pant was more assured than he had been against England. He stepped out to hit Mosaddek for six, paddled Shakib with power and swept Soumya off the pads while losing balance. Having crossed his previous ODI best of 36, Pant missed a maiden fifty by two runs when he heaved a ball from Shakib to deep midwicket. Shakib’s final spell of 1/9 in three overs was golden for Bangladesh.
Mustafizur also finished well with the wickets of Dinesh Karthik in the 48th over and Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah in the 50th.
India will now face Sri Lanka in Leeds on Saturday-to learn their opponent in the last four.
