IND vs BAN Review: Clinical Kohli and Jadeja seal India’s fourth win
India faced Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune in the 17th match of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first as opening batters Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das started cautiously against Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj.
The first five overs saw only 10 runs scored, with India even missing a chance to reverse an LBW decision against Tanzid. However, Litton took advantage of a few short deliveries from Siraj in the sixth over, sparking a comeback. Tanzid hit a six off Bumrah and followed it up with several boundaries off Siraj, shifting the momentum.
From 10/0, Bangladesh quickly raced to 63/0 after the powerplay. The openers continued to score runs steadily before Kuldeep Yadav finally broke the partnership. From 93/0, Bangladesh found themselves struggling at 137/4. India’s bowlers tightened their grip on the game during this middle period, forcing Bangladesh to rely on Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim to set a competitive total.
While Rahim kept the scorecard moving, Jadeja took a stunning catch at backward point to dismiss him with just over seven overs remaining. Mahmudullah then played some aggressive shots in the final five overs against India’s pace trio. He helped Bangladesh reach a respectable total of 256.
In their chase, the Indian team got off to a strong start. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill built a solid partnership of 88. Although Rohit got out, Gill scored a half-century before being dismissed by Mehidy Hasan. Virat Kohli, the superstar batter, played an exceptional innings of 103* off just 97 balls to lead India to victory. With Kohli’s brilliant century, India won the match by seven wickets with 51 balls remaining. India are now placed at the second position on the points table.
Top Performers of the Match
Virat Kohli (103 of 97)
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli once again showcased his real prowess with the bat, played a brilliant knock of 103, and scored his 48th ODI century. He smashed six fours and four sixes to help the team to win the match quite comfortably.
Ravindra Jadeja (2/38, 10 overs)
Ravindra Jadeja showcased his skill as a crafty left-arm spinner. He bowled brilliantly in the middle overs and restricting the Bangladesh batters from scoring freely. Jadeja took two crucial wickets and his catch at backward point to dismiss Mushfiqur Rahim was the highlight of the match.
What next?
Going ahead, India will play against New Zealand on October 22. While Bangladesh will take on South Africa on October 24
