Fatullah: Virat Kohli won the battle of the captains as reigning World Cup champions India defeated host Bangladesh by six wickets in the second match of the Asia Cup in Fatullah on Wednesday. Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim hit 117 off 113 balls, sharing a third-wicket stand of 133 with Anamul Haque (77), to lift the hosts to 279-7 after India elected to field.
Kohli, standing in for the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, then smashed 136 off 122 balls to steer India past the challenging target in 49 overs. The prolific 25-year-old hit 16 boundaries and two sixes in his 19th one-day century, 17 of which have been in winning causes. Ajinkya Rahane (73) provided valuable support to his captain, adding 213 for the third wicket with Kohli after India were reduced to 54-2 by the 13th over of the day-night game.
Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma put on 50 by the 12th over before both batsmen fell in the space of 10 deliveries. Dhawan was leg-before to left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak for 28, and Sharma was bowled in seamer Ziaul Rahman’s first over.
Earlier, Rahim hit seven fours and two sixes in his second one-day century, before he was dismissed in the final over attempting a big hit. Anamul and Rahim came together after opener Shamsur Rahman and Mominul Haque were removed by the 13th over with the score at 49.
Anamul smashed fast bowler Varun Aaron for two sixes to long-on, then reached his half-century with another six off Ravichandran Ashwin over the bowler’s head. Aaron, who conceded 56 runs in 6.5 overs, finally found success when he bowled Anamul with the last ball of his seventh over, the 37th of the innings.
Rahim slammed two boundaries and a six when Aaron bowled next, but the batsman was hit on the chest by a full toss delivery later in the same over and needed medical attention on the field. Aaron, who had also sent down a full toss earlier in the match, was not allowed to bowl by the umpires for the rest of the innings and finished with expensive figures of one for 74 from 7.5 overs.
Seamer Mohammad Shami was the most impressive Indian bowler with four for 50 from his 10 overs. India are without Dhoni for the entire five-nation tournament due to a side strain suffered during the recent tour of New Zealand.
Bangladesh were missing injured opener Tamim Iqbal and premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is serving a three-match ban on disciplinary grounds. Shakib will also miss the home team’s second match against Afghanistan on Saturday. Defending champions Pakistan, who were beaten by Sri Lanka in Tuesday’s tournament opener, take on minnows Afghanistan on Thursday.
448 total views, 1 views today