World Cup 2023: India restrict Bangladesh to modest 256/8

India restricted Bangladesh to 256-8 in their World Cup clash thanks to a clinical bowling effort. The bowlers struck at regular intervals and that halted the opposition innings at 256. Writes Meenakshi Rao.

Pune (Maharashtra):The ever-passionate Bangla tigers, who get an unexplained adrenaline shot when pitted against India, put out an up-and-down duel under the sun in Pune with bursts of brilliance, aggression and run build-up getting mixed up with initial sluggishness and regular loss of wickets. Despite the boundaries and the sixes looked fearless, they wound up 256-8.

A slow and watchful Bangladesh took six overs to suddenly burst into a crescendo of runs. It was the young Tanzid Hasan, who took the charge to score a quickfire 50 in 41 balls with five boundaries and three massive sixes. For Bangladesh just 19 in six overs and the first boundary coming in as late as the sixth over, it seemed the pitch was having a lover’s tiff with runs, belying its reputation.

You could pin the sluggishness on Jasprit Bumrah’s miserly bowling in the initial overs that Hasan and Litton Das went on a run-riot only after he departed. For the first time in this tournament, the fear factor around Kuldeep Yadav was waning and Shardul Thakur was ripped apart mercilessly (2-0-20-0).

But all that was before Kuldeep Yadav, not one to ever give up, struck and ensnared the coveted wicket of Tanzid Hasan when he was 51 and Bangladesh 93-1 in 15 overs. Kuldeep Yadav, this time, got his man to a non-turner which rapped Hasan’s pad plumb before the wicket, leaving it to his senior to keep the pace going or, better still, pressing the accelerator.

To Litton Das’ credit, he quietly and unnoticed, reached a solid 66, preparing to deliver a tonner against India. But that was not to be as he erroneously challenged a straight delivery by Ravindra Jadeja to be quickly nabbed at long-off by a waiting Shubman Gill. The Das departure all but sealed a low score for the Bangladeshis as their team, by then, was already three down with Najmul Hossain Shanto being trapped by Jadeja at 8 in the 20th over when the ball caught him on the back pad with a resounding surety.

Just five overs later, KL Rahul got into an acrobatic stunner to take a diving, one-hand catch once Mehidy Hasan Miraz barely caressed a straying to the legside ball with his bat, giving Mohammed Siraj his much-awaited moment to celebrate, in his second spell.

The brief steam of runs let out by the meteoric presence of Hasan was completely lost once Das departed but more hurtfully for Bangladesh, it also signalled them not having emerged from colthood despite all their passion for the game. Building partnerships, finishing games on a high, longevity at the crease and the tenacity to see through an innings despite the lows, are issues that Bangladesh, which has long grown into a Test-playing nation, still needs to weed out from its youthful mindset.

India, on the other hand, were a show of well-balanced bowling with a clear strategy to exploit the vividity of their bowling department once Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat on the pitch that is known to be a belter. Having lost Hardik Pandya to an ankle injury in the middle of his bowling spell, skipper Rohit Sharma displayed his strategic acumen by rotating his bowlers at the right time – and getting wickets. He brought in Mohammed Siraj into a second spell and he delivered.

And just when the bat had again started getting momentum, Jasprit Bumrah came into action. The result? A wicket when it was most needed, that of Mushfiqur Rahim, who was just 12 runs short of his 50. The incredible catch at backward point by Ravindra Jadeja defeated even the batting of an eyelid, highlighting the growing prowess of the Indian fielding, what with KL Rahul doing a super dive to startle all the sundry.

By the 47th over, Bangladesh had been limited to 237 runs on a pitch hungry for many more runs. Meanwhile, Mamuddulah, who had built up a cool 37 runs in 30 balls, was looking to make the most of the last two overs and tearing into Mohammed Siraj’s line and length. The contest had Mamudullah one up, who lifted an outside-off delivery over long-on in what looked like a beyond-handsome shot.

The penultimate over ended with 10 runs and then it was time for the master of sudden death, Jasprit Bumrah to deliver the last ripper. A perfect yorker was expected and delivered as Mamudullah walked at 46 but only after three massive sixes decorating his act. Shoriful Islam ended the proceedings with a miscued six on Jasprit Bumrah’s last ball to wrap up their innings at 256-8. All in all, a defence that India can well manage, even though Hardik Pandya may be missing from the ranks.