Virat smashes unbeaten 103 off 97 balls after openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma give India solid start in seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Pune
Virat Kohli celebrates his century and India’s victory over Bangladesh yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Another day, another excellent bowling performance with the spinners in the forefront. Another night, another clinical chase with the top three shouldering the responsibility and Virat Kohli providing the icing on the cake with his 48th ODI century.
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The Indian juggernaut rolled along unchallenged at the World Cup, Bangladesh their latest victims at a throbbing MCA International Stadium on Thursday. The only discordant note was a worrying ankle injury for Hardik Pandya on his followthrough, which restricted him to just three deliveries before he limped off for a scan, whose results will be awaited with bated breath by the think-tank.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma becomes fifth-leading run-scorer in ODI World Cup history
Rohit misses half-ton
Opting to bat, Bangladesh were restricted to 256 for eight on a fantastic batting deck, put in perspective by Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Kohli. The openers added 88 in quick time—Rohit missed out on a half-ton while Gill brought up his maiden World Cup fifty—and Kohli then went into overdrive, treating the crowd to a terrific exhibition of stroke-making and running between the wickets to muscle India home by seven wickets with 51 deliveries to spare. Kohli brought up his century, and victory, with a towering six.
Skipper Shakib ruled out
Bangladesh, forced to make do without skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who has a suspected quadricep tear, were properly schooled by an Indian side that again owed it to the bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah, and deadly spin-twins Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, were the star performers, making up for Shardul Thakur’s profligacy and another iffy day in the office for Mohammed Siraj. The bowling was backed up by spectacular catching with KL Rahul flying to his left behind the stumps to snaffle a left-handed grab, and Jadeja soaring to his right to gobble up a powerfully struck cut from the well-set Mushfiqur Rahim.
After a sedate start, Liton Das and Tanzid Hasan took the attack to India with a sparkling opening stand of 93, the left-handed Tanzid using his feet with audacity on a true batting track and Das once again making his liking for the Indian bowling apparent. But once Kuldeep procured the breakthrough in the first over after drinks to trap Tanzid in front, it was India all the way.
There were pockets of resistance at different stages from Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah, but Rohit marshalled his resources superbly and his trump cards responded admirably. Bangladesh knew their tally was well below par, especially with India in such roaring batting touch.
Rohit unleashed another exhibition of subliminal shot-making, Gill was easy on the eye as always and Kohli bedded in to see the chase home, like he has done so often in the past. Each of the three wickets that came Bangladesh’s way was due to a sudden rush of blood, Shreyas Iyer’s particularly disappointing, but that was a minor blip in what was otherwise a night to savour for the hosts and especially for Kohli’s legion of fans.
Brief scores
Bangladesh 256-8 in 50 overs (L Das 66, T Hasan 51, Mahmudullah 46, M Rahim 38; R Jadeja 2-38, J Bumrah 2-41, M Siraj 2-60) lost to India 261-3 in 41.3 overs (V Kohli 103*; S Gill 53, R Sharma 48; M Miraz 2-47) by 7 wickets
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