All-round India tame B’desh tigers
20 March 2015 10:45 PM GMT
Powered by Rohit Sharma’s scintillating ton (137), India registered a comprehensive 109-run win over neighbours Bangladesh to enter the semifinal of the World Cup at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.
Guided by Rohit, the defending champions posted a challenging total of 302/6 in 50 overs in the quarterfinal. Later, the Bangladeshi batsmen proved no match for the Indian bowlers, who skittled out the youngest Test-playing nation for 193 runs in 45 overs.
No team has ever chased down a 300-plus target at the huge MCG and MS Dhoni’s men ensured they maintained the record. Chasing 303, Bangladesh never got going and kept losing wickets steadily. Opener Tamim Iqbal (25) looked a little dangerous at the start but his wicket in the seventh over started the collapse. None of the Bangladesh batsmen stepped up to play the anchor’s role. The only notable partnership came from Nasir Hossain (35) and Sabbir Rahman (30) who struck a 50-run stand for the seventh wicket.
On a day when Mohammed Shami (2/37) and Mohit Sharma (1/36) went for a few runs, Umesh Yadav rose to the occasion by clinching a career-best 4/31. Shami is now the highest wicket-taker of the World Cup so far with 17 scalps. The spinners were also effective. While Ravindra Jadeja (2/42) picked up a couple, offie Ravichandran Ashwin tied down the batsmen with figures of 10-1-30-0.
Earlier, Rohit’s 122-run fourth-wicket partnership with Suresh Raina (65) provided the platform for India to put up a big total.After opting to bat, India started off quite smoothly with openers Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan (30) crafting a 75-run opening stand to take India through the initial overs. Such impact-less were the Bangladeshis that Mortaza had introduced five bowlers within the first 12 overs as Dhawan and Rohit batted with ease, without taking chances.
With none of the bowlers finding success, Mortaza brought in his key weapon, Shakib Al Hasan, and the left-arm spinner got immediate result when he had Dhawan stumped in the 17th over. Eight deliveries later Bangladesh struck again when Rubel Hossain sent back Virat Kohli (3).
Bangladesh stepped up the pressure on India, curbing their run flow. Under pressure, middle-order bat Ajinkya Rahane (19) did not last long, chipping one to mid-off to put India in more than a spot of bother at 115/3 in the 28th over. Raina then cut loose from the start to up the ante as Rohit too started going for the shots. Raina hit seven boundaries and a six in his 57-ball 65.
After Raina fell in the 44th over, Rohit kept going and notched up his seventh one-day century to become one of only three non-Australian players to hit two tons at MCG after David Gower and Viv Richards. Rohit’s knock was studded with 14 fours and three sixes.
Guided by Rohit, the defending champions posted a challenging total of 302/6 in 50 overs in the quarterfinal. Later, the Bangladeshi batsmen proved no match for the Indian bowlers, who skittled out the youngest Test-playing nation for 193 runs in 45 overs.
No team has ever chased down a 300-plus target at the huge MCG and MS Dhoni’s men ensured they maintained the record. Chasing 303, Bangladesh never got going and kept losing wickets steadily. Opener Tamim Iqbal (25) looked a little dangerous at the start but his wicket in the seventh over started the collapse. None of the Bangladesh batsmen stepped up to play the anchor’s role. The only notable partnership came from Nasir Hossain (35) and Sabbir Rahman (30) who struck a 50-run stand for the seventh wicket.
On a day when Mohammed Shami (2/37) and Mohit Sharma (1/36) went for a few runs, Umesh Yadav rose to the occasion by clinching a career-best 4/31. Shami is now the highest wicket-taker of the World Cup so far with 17 scalps. The spinners were also effective. While Ravindra Jadeja (2/42) picked up a couple, offie Ravichandran Ashwin tied down the batsmen with figures of 10-1-30-0.
Earlier, Rohit’s 122-run fourth-wicket partnership with Suresh Raina (65) provided the platform for India to put up a big total.After opting to bat, India started off quite smoothly with openers Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan (30) crafting a 75-run opening stand to take India through the initial overs. Such impact-less were the Bangladeshis that Mortaza had introduced five bowlers within the first 12 overs as Dhawan and Rohit batted with ease, without taking chances.
With none of the bowlers finding success, Mortaza brought in his key weapon, Shakib Al Hasan, and the left-arm spinner got immediate result when he had Dhawan stumped in the 17th over. Eight deliveries later Bangladesh struck again when Rubel Hossain sent back Virat Kohli (3).
Bangladesh stepped up the pressure on India, curbing their run flow. Under pressure, middle-order bat Ajinkya Rahane (19) did not last long, chipping one to mid-off to put India in more than a spot of bother at 115/3 in the 28th over. Raina then cut loose from the start to up the ante as Rohit too started going for the shots. Raina hit seven boundaries and a six in his 57-ball 65.
After Raina fell in the 44th over, Rohit kept going and notched up his seventh one-day century to become one of only three non-Australian players to hit two tons at MCG after David Gower and Viv Richards. Rohit’s knock was studded with 14 fours and three sixes.
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