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Published : 20 Feb 2025, 10:42 PM
India began their Champions Trophy campaign with a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh after opener Shubman Gill anchored their nervy chase with a classy hundred in the Group A contest on Thursday.
A victory target of 229 looked inadequate to test India's vaunted batting but Rohit Sharma's men faltered in their chase and owed their tense victory, even if it came with 21 balls to spare, largely to Gill's unbeaten 101.
Gill's ton trumped Towhid Hridoy's heroic 100 while battling cramps that helped Bangladesh, who were 35-5 at one stage, reach 228 before being all out with two deliveries left in their innings.
Seamer Mohammed Shami claimed 5-53, signalling he was ready to lead India's pace attack in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah.
"We have been in that kind of situation many a time," India captain Rohit Sharma said of their chase.
"There's a lot of experience in that dressing room to handle that... KL (Rahul) and Gill at the end were quite composed."
Najmul Hossain Shanto was left to regret his decision to bat as Bangladesh lost the top half of their batting half inside nine overs.
While India's new ball pair of Shami and Harshit Rana (3-31) struck in their first overs, spinner Axar Patel nearly claimed a hat-trick.
The left-arm spinner removed Tanzid Hasan (25) and Mushfiqur Rahim - both caught behind - off successive deliveries.
Axar's next delivery produced an edge from new man in Jaker Ali (68) but Rohit spilled a simple catch in the slip and was seen apologising to Axar for denying him a hat-trick.
Jaker also survived a missed stumping opportunity while Hardik Pandya dropped Hridoy to let Bangladesh off the hook.
The batters forged a 154-run stand but Hridoy developed cramps and was practically batting on one leg towards the end of his stellar hundred that included six fours and two sixes.
Rohit (41) and Gill got India off to a flying start adding 69 runs for the opening stand.
Rohit could not initially middle the ball but boundaries soon started to flow from his bat as he crossed 11,000 runs in ODIs.
Taskin Ahmed removed Rohit in the 10th over and suddenly the boundary flow stopped.
Virat Kohli (22) could not convert the start while Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel fell cheaply as Bangladesh fought back with their spinners.
Jaker dropped Rahul when the Indian was on nine and it proved a costly mistake as the batter went on to make 41 not out and sealing India's victory with a six.
India next face defending champions Pakistan in a Sunday blockbuster in Dubai.
