While chasing, India and Kohli both required 19 at one stage, and for a moment you wondered if No. 48 had to wait. It didn’t have to, though while Nasum fired one down leg when two were needed, expecting a wide that was called and to ensure victory, one delivery later, Kohli came out and chopped a low full toss into the deep midwicket stands.
Bangladesh had won the toss and decided to bat first. In five overs, they moved from 10 for 0 to 37 for the following four. After settling into a rhythm, Tanzid Hasan quickly reached his first ODI half-century in just 42 balls.
He hooked Jasprit Bumrah and got Shardul Thakur for 6, 4, 6 in a forgettable opening over, setting the tone for the innings. However, as the spin started, Kuldeep Yadav broke a 93-run partnership with an opportunity in the fifteenth.
In the meanwhile, Hardik Pandya gave India a startling shock when he hobbled off three balls in his opening over after contorting his left ankle on his follow-through. Back then, you had to worry if they would suffer from not having a sixth bowling option.
That didn’t happen since after bowling eight more overs after his opening over, Shardul took a wicket and then Mahmudullah damaged his figures in his final over.
Pandya wasn’t needed at-bat and didn’t return for the remainder of their innings, after the initial shock of the result wears off, it will become evident how important Pandya is to the team’s balance once the initial shock of the result dies down.
As Kuldeep slowed the innings down, Jadeja electrified the audience with his precise wicket-to-wicket stroke play, dismissing Shanto. The pressure to step it up paid off, as by this point the runs were barely coming in, and Litton chipped one straight to long off to give Jadeja a second wicket. The innings were in build-rebuild-build mode at 137 for 4.
With 14 overs remaining and Towhid Hridoy struggling at 14 off 32, Mushfiqur Rahim tried to be a bit more adventurous as a result of the pressure from Hridoy’s struggles, especially since he was unable to capitalize after playing himself in, so Rahim tried to keeps the scorecard ticking in the hopes of taking the innings deep.
A Bumrah cutter presented one such opportunity, and an incredible Jadeja dived full stretch to his right, completing a breathtaking catch that sent Mushfiqur back for 43. It was every bit as thrilling as when Rahul had dismissed Mehidy Hasan with a breathtaking grab at full stretch down the leg a while earlier.
The all-rounder’s 46 had given Bangladesh’s total some respectability until Bumrah destroyed Mahmudullah with a pinpoint yorker, continuing the superhit moments on the pitch.
It set up a chase that teams should be cautious of since they don’t always know how difficult it is to climb higher. But India seems to have clear intentions.
Rohit was determined to stick with the fundamentals of his revitalized style, which revolved around attacking the opposition during a power play. However, on 48, he attempted a pull that was straight out of the screws, but it discovered a deep square.
With two free knocks in his first four deliveries, Virat Kohli launched his innings into orbit with a boundary and a six. From then on, he didn’t turn around. He maneuvered spin skillfully, ran hard, drove well, and exercised prudence, particularly when facing the skiddy Hasan Mahmud.
Similar to Rohit, Gill also gave up on the game after appearing to be clear of dengue symptoms with a few languid shots. The timing of Shreyas Iyer’s expulsion was scarcely a cause for concern for India, but he could have been a little unhappy not to see the game through after throwing himself into it. Rahul first eased everyone’s fears before controlling his tactics to let Kohli reach the milestone.
India and Kohli both required 19 at one stage. For a moment you wondered if No. 48 had to wait. It didn’t have to, though. Nasum fired one down leg when two were needed, expecting a wide that was called. To ensure victory, one delivery later, Kohli came out and chopped a low full toss into the deep midwicket stands.
Before Kohli’s effort, which at times became a race between his century and victory, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill delivered a run-torrent. In a chase of 257, which appeared far short of a par total, the pair’s opening 88-run partnership was the stuff of batting beauty dreams.
Rohit Sharma, India captain:
“It was a good win. Something that we were looking forward to. We did not start well but we pulled it back well in the middle stages and at the back end as well. (On the bowling and the fielding) The last three games we have played, our fielding has been superb. We continued that today. It is something that is in your control. You try and put in as much effort as you can. Bowlers were smart enough to understand what sort of lines and lengths were needed. (On Jadeja) He was brilliant with the ball and took a brilliant catch. But a hundred is a hundred – you cannot beat that. (On the fielding medals players receive after each game) We have something going on in the group. Lifts everyone. Guys who end up with the most medals, there is something special for them. (On Pandya) He pulled up a bit sore. There is no major damage, which is good for us. But obviously, with an injury like that, we have to assess every day and we will do whatever is required. (Game against NZ) Every game is a big game. (On the support) All of us in the squad have gone through such pressure – crowds coming in big numbers. It is special for us. The crowd has not disappointed us and I am pretty sure it is going to get bigger and louder moving forward.”
Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh captain:
“India is always a very good side. they are capable of playing this way and they showed us today that they can play better cricket (than us). All the teams (New Zealand, England, and India) are very good. What I feel is we did not play our best game. Hopefully, we can do that in the future. (On Shakib’s injury) He is recovering well. I am hoping he can be fit for the next match. Tanzid batted well and all the fast bowlers bowled pretty well. But we did not finish well (with the bat). If Tanzid and Litton batted longer, could have been a different ballgame. Hopefully, in the next game, our batters can take responsibility.”
Virat Kohli, Player of the Match:
“Sorry for stealing it (the Player of the Match award) from Jaddu. I wanted to make a big contribution. Have made fifties in World Cups, and wanted to finish it off this time. (Free hits to start off) I was telling Shubman that even if you dream about this situation, you go back to sleep. It was a dream start. It just calms you down. The pitch was good and allowed me to play my game – hit the gaps and find the boundaries whenever I could. Great atmosphere in the dressing room. The spirit is there for everyone to see. You need to create some momentum in the changing room to come out and play like this. Special feeling to play in front of such crowds.”