19 Feb 2011 - India vs Bangladesh World Cup 2011, 1st Match Group B - Bulletin

World Cup Opener

Sehwag scripts easy India win

A career best score by Sehwag and a disciplined bowling performance by Munaf Patel helped India not only to a win in the World Cup 2011 opener at Mirpur but send a strong signal to rest of the teams in the tournament.

After a brutal batting display by Sehwag and Kohli (100 not out), Indian bowlers led by Munaf Patel scripted a rather easy 87 run win over Bangladesh brushing aside all the talk of their neighbors repeating 2007 match.

For Bangladesh it appeared, Indian batting line-up was too much to handle with Indian batsmen making runs at will and keeping opposition bowlers at bay right through the inning.

A 25000 crowd at Mirpur was muted by Sehwag’s blistering inning and a well paced century by his Delhi teammate who had to come to see their team win against India but it turned otherwise much to their disappointment.

However, they were given something to cheer by their batsmen as Bangladesh made decent fist of their run chase, more so till forty overs, threatening to challenge the Indian big total at times with Shakib and Tamim partnership and breezy start by Imrul Kayes.

All that was ended when Shakib, who batted with authority for his 50 ball 55 run stay, was holed out to Yusuf by Harbhajan.

Openers, Kayes in particular, went all guns blazing registering team fifty inside first fifty overs but wickets at regular intervals pegged back their chase.

For India Munaf was the best bowler on the scene taking 4 wickets for just 48 runs in a high scoring game. Harbhajan did his reputation no harm by bowling a tight spell of ten overs and Zaheer also looked good after being left out of warm-up matches owing to the injured shoulder.

Sreesanth’s bowling will be concern though going for 53 runs in his five overs conceding 24 runs in his third over with Kayes taking a liking to him.

Earlier, India batsmen made Bangladesh bowling unit look a very ordinary toying with it by scoring a huge score of 370 runs in their allotted fifty over thanks to 175 and 100 not out from Delhi mates Sehwag and Kohli.

Delhi dasher fell short of 25 runs to double century getting out in 47th over but not before giving some tough moments to much talked-about Bangladesh bowling.

He was ruthless from the word go and exhibited his intentions first ball of the match by hitting it to cover point boundary.

Coming off just 140 balls, his 175 runs punctuated with 14 fours and 5 sixes reminded Bangladesh of the gulf between the two sides. He cut and pulled straight when offered width and short stuff, drove and lofted when bowlers pitched it up and slogged when needed. His first fifty came off just 45 balls which he completed by dispatching Shakib over long-on boundary and his next fifty came at a faster rate clipping to leg side for his second century in the world cup.

He was ably supported by Sachin and Gambhir who scored run a ball 28 and 39 respectively to set a platform for a Sehwag-Kohli show.

Young Kohli continued his good form in the limited overs cricket bringing up his fourth ODI century in the last over of the innings. He was sedate to start with but played some exquisite drives coupled with some aggressive strokes through leg side to complete his 85 ball hundred in his first world cup game.

He and Sehwag put on 203 runs off 146 balls to put India in a strong position against Bangladesh whose bowlers were guilty off bowling short, offering width and bowling too legsidish off the mat. Even spinners couldn’t put lid on scoring rate as all of them went for more than 6 runs per over leaving their batsmen with daunting task ahead against Indian bowling.

They looked a nervous unit and big match pressure got to the bowlers which was quite evident from how they bowled to Indian batters who made most of the opportunities offered.

Only blemish in Sehwag’s marathon innings was ball watching when called for a single by Tendulkar, resulting in latter’s run-out.

Gambhir was removed by gentle off spin of Mahmudullah whose straighter one snuck through Gambhir when he attempted to work the ball towards the leg side.

Man of the match: Virendar Sehwag (India)

Saqibul wicket makes run chase difficult

Bangladesh suffered the body blow in their pursuit to chase down a mammoth target of 371 runs set out to them by India when their captain was holed out to Harbhajan off Yusuf Pathan after making a more than run a ball fifty.

Bangladesh were 236 for the loss of 4 wickets at the end of 40 overs with Mushfiqur and new man Raqibul batting at the crease needing 135 off ten overs.

Run chase was pegged back by tight bowling spells from the bowlers with Munaf taking two wickets and one going to thrifty Harbhajan.

Harbhajan strike pegs Bangladesh run chase back

Harbhajan kept the Bangladesh run chase under check by removing Junaid Siddique in his 7 over spell of seven overs. Not only he kept check on scoring rate but every now and then had Bangladesh batsmen groping, putting hosts in trouble in their pursuit to chase a big Indian target of 371 runs.

Bangladesh were 133 for two at halfway mark in their chase with required run rate crossing nine runs per over.
After getting a brisk start courtesy 34 runs off 29 balls from Imrul Kayes Bangladesh were pegged back by some disciplined bowling effort from Indian spinners.

Tamim, Junaid steady innings after Kayes’s departure

Bangladesh came up with a spirited response in reply to Indian mammoth total of 370 runs scoring 93 runs for the loss of one wicket at the end of 15 overs.

Tamim (25 runs) and Junaid (19 runs) were at the crease. Bangladesh chase started off in blistering fashion with its first fifty coming inside first five overs.

For Bangladesh, it was Imrul Kayes who led the charge smashing 24 runs off Sreesanth’s third over in his 29 ball 34 run innings. His stay was cut short when he inside-edged Munaf’s delivery to his stumps.

Barring Sreesanth, Indian bowlers bowled well forcing lots of edges from the Bangladesh batsmen but to no luck.

Openers respond aggressively in run chase

Bangladesh openers responded aggressively to India’s mammoth target of 371 runs by reaching to their fifty in less than five overs.

Surprisingly, it was Tamim Iqbal’s partner, Imrul Kayes who led the charge having scored 30 off just balls. Sreesanth third over him 24 runs thanks to some poor deliveries coupled with some aggressive stroke play.

Marathon Sehwag innings powers India to mammoth total

Virendar Sehwag’s career best score and a well complied century from his Delhi team mate powered India to mammoth score setting up a target of for 371 runs Bangladesh to win the 2011 World Cup opener played at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Mirpur.

Delhi dasher fell short of 25 runs to double century getting out in 47th over but not before giving some tough moments to much talked-about Bangladesh bowling.

He was ruthless from the word go and exhibited his intentions first ball of the match by hitting it to cover point boundary.

Coming off just 140 balls, his 175 runs punctuated with 14 fours and 5 sixes reminded Bangladesh of the gulf between the tw © eContent.in