In a high scoring affair at Fatullah, Indian skipper Virat Kohli powered his side to an easy six-wicket victory over Bangladesh to register their first win in the Asia Cup yesterday.
The match witnessed two brilliant centuries coming from the two captains and it needed something brilliant from Kohli to overshadow the patient hundred scored by Mushfiqur Rahim in the first innings.
Bangladesh rode on Mushfiq’s highest ODI score 117 to throw a challenging target of 280 to an Indian line-up that consisted an inexperience middle-order.
However, Kohli and young Ajinkya Rahane added 213 for the third wicket, India’s highest ever partnership against Bangladesh, to make sure they stroll to victory with six balls to spare.
Mashrafe bin Mortaza and Rubel Hossain started off brilliantly with the new balls as the Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma struggled to find the gaps for single, let alone boundaries.
Both Dhawan and Sharma were opening up after India had just 18 after seven overs, but the home side struck twice to stop the flow.
Abdur Razzak trapped Dhawan leg-before which brought Kohli in the middle while Ziaur Rahman cleaned up Sharma in the next over to see Rahane walk in.
It was expected that Kohli will be the main man behind the result as India had earlier lost only one match chasing with the 25-year-old scoring a hundred. Kohli nudged around for singles with ease while he showed no mercy in dispatching the short balls for maximum.
The dew was also a factor as the Bangladeshi spinners found it hard to grip the ball, making it easier for the visiting batsmen. With 16 fours and two sixes, Kohli was finally dismissed by Rubel in the 46th over, but by then he had scored 136 and harboured India close to the win. On the other hand, Rahane, who was happy playing the supporting role to his new skipper, took time to nurture his innings and opened up in the batting powerplay. He made 73 before falling to Gazi with India only seven away from victory.
Earlier, Bangladesh enjoyed a 133-run third wicket stand between Anamul and Mushfiq to post 279 for seven. The Tigers were off to a shaky start losing Shamsur Rahman in the sixth over as Mominul Haque walked in and played some exquisite drives to race to 23 before being stumped off Ashwin.
Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal’s absence was hardly felt as Mushfiq and Anamul displayed some sensible batting. They duo milked the Indian bowling for singles while Anamul jumped down the wicket often to send the ball over the rope. Anamul was unlucky not to get his second one-day hundred as he chopped Varun Aaron’s delivery on to his stumps on 77, but that hardly stopped Mushfiq from playing some delightful strokes on both sides of the wicket. He eventually landed his hundred in the 45th over when the Indians gifted him four overthrows.
Shami, India’s best bowler with four for 50, dismissed Mushfiq in the last over, but by then the Tigers skipper had already ensured the challenging total for his side.
However, it will be Mushfiq’s injury to his right shoulder that will be more concerning for Bangladesh than the defeat. A diving effort from him in the dying stages of the match saw him immediately rushed to the hospital for x-ray which however did not deliver any negative result, but he will be taken for a MRI today.
