Virat Kohli notched another ODI century, leading India to a commanding victory over Bangladesh in their ICC World Cup clash in Pune on Thursday.
Bangladesh won the toss and set a target of 256 in 50 overs. In response, India chased it down with 51 balls to spare. Kohli's 103 off 97 balls marked his 48th ODI hundred, fifth against Bangladesh.
India's chase was based on a solid start by captain Rohit Sharma (48) and Shubman Gill (53) in an 88-run partnership. Kohli's aggressive play secured the victory, with six fours and four sixes, and with seven wickets in hand.
Read: World Cup 2023: Bangladesh Post Moderate Total Against India
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed two wickets, while Hasan Mahmud took one.
Earlier, Bangladesh made 256. Despite a strong start, reaching 90 for none after the 14th over, they fell short of a possible 300-run mark or more.
In the opening 10 overs, Bangladesh amassed 63 runs without losing a wicket. Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan Tamim steadied after a shaky start, reaching a mere 10 runs at the five-over mark. Along the way, Tanzid scored his maiden fifty in international cricket.
However, Litton, after hitting a fifty, struggled to maintain momentum and was dismissed with a loose shot towards long on.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz failed to make an impact, possibly due to frequent changes in their batting positions. Towhid Hridoy made a steady start but never looked settled in the middle, managing only 16 runs.
Read: Mushfiqur Rahim emerges as 2nd Bangladeshi cricketer to score 1000 plus runs in ICC World Cup
While Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj impressed, each taking two wickets, Bumrah conceded 41 runs in 10 overs, while Siraj gave away 60 off his 10 overs.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad promised a strong finish in the last 10 overs. However, Mushfiqur’s dismissal for 38 disrupted Bangladesh's plans. Mahmudullah played until the second ball of the last over, surviving an lbw appeal.
In the next ball, he lost his stumps to Bumrah, showcasing a textbook yorker.
Before falling to Bumrah, Mahmudullah hit 46 off 36 balls, displaying his ability to perform under pressure, even at 37.
Read: ICC World Cup 2023: Litton falls as Bangladesh lose momentum with quick wickets
Shoriful Islam ended the innings with a big six, bringing Bangladesh's total to 256.
Bangladesh played without their regular captain, Shakib Al Hasan, who suffered a muscle injury in the last match against New Zealand and was ruled out of this game.//