Kohli steers India to victory with century

Virat Kohli cracked a brisk century to power India to an easy six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the last triangular one-day series match in Dhaka on Monday.

Kohli made an unbeaten 102 for his second one-day hundred as India surpassed Bangladesh's 247-6 with seven overs to spare in the day-night match.

Sri Lanka and India, who had already qualified for Wednesday's final, finished their league engagements with three victories from four matches. Bangladesh lost all of their four games.

India got off to a solid start when Gautam Gambhir (41) and Dinesh Karthik (34) put on 64 for the opening wicket before man-of-the-match Kohli pressed home the advantage with an attractive 95-ball knock.

Kohli, dropped on 83 by Mohammad Ashraful at deep mid-wicket off paceman Syed Rasel, completed his century and his team's win with his 11th four.

Off-spinner Naeem Islam was the most impressive bowler, dismissing Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh (13) to finish with 2-35.

The hosts were earlier well-served by skipper Shakib Al Hasan (85) and Mohammad Mahmudullah (64 not out), who cracked fighting half-centuries to prop up the innings.

Bangladesh were struggling at 95-5 before Shakib and Mahmudullah steadied the innings with a 106-run stand for the sixth wicket to set the stage for a late onslaught, which saw the hosts score 95 in the last 10 overs.

Shakib fell in the 46th over, caught behind while attempting to scoop left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra over the wicket-keeper. He hit one six and eight fours in his 13th half-century.

Mahmudullah cracked one six and five boundaries in his career-best knock, while Naeem made an unbeaten 22 off just 14 balls late in the innings with the help of one six and two fours.

Nehra was the highest wicket-taker with 2-58 off 10 overs.

Scoreboard:

Bangladesh:

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Kayes), 2-15 (Ashraful), 3-60 (Iqbal), 4-67 (Raqibul), 5-95 (Rahim), 6-201 (Shakib).

Bowling:

India:

Fall of wickets: 1-64 (Karthik), 2-87 (Gambhir), 3-133 (Yuvraj), 4-201 (Dhoni).

Bowling:

Result: India win by six wickets

Toss: India

Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Sharfuddoula Shahid (BAN)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

Next match (final): India v Sri Lanka (Wednesday)