India reach semis, eliminate B’desh

This news has been read 9256 times!

India’s Rohit Sharma (left), plays a shot during the Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England on July 2. (AP)

Rohit, Bumrah secure 28-run victory

BIRMINGHAM, England, July 2, (RTRS): India sailed into the Cricket World Cup semifinals and eliminated opponents Bangladesh after Rohit Sharma’s century and Jasprit Bumrah’s four-wicket haul secured a 28-run victory over their neighbours on Tuesday.

Rohit smashed his fourth century of this year’s tournament and featured in a massive 180-run opening partnership with K.L. Rahul to help India to a commanding 314-9.

Shakib Al Hasan struck a defiant 66 but the lack of partnerships hurt Bangladesh, who were all out for 286 in 48 overs with Bumrah (4-55) sealing the victory by claiming two wickets with the final two deliveries.

India are now second with 13 points, one behind leaders Australia, and play Sri Lanka in their final group match on Saturday.

Earlier, Rohit combined with Rahul (77) for the highest opening partnership at this year’s tournament to give India a strong foundation after they elected to bat.

Things could have been vastly different though had Tamim Iqbal not spilled Rohit, then on nine, at midwicket off Mustafizur Rahman who went on to return 5-59.

Rohit capitalised on the reprieve to smash a 92-ball century, equalling Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara’s record of four hundreds in a single World Cup.

The opener clobbered five of the seven sixes in the Indian innings, besides seven fours, and overtook Australian David Warner as the leading scorer at this tournament.

Soumya Sarkar ended the ominous-looking partnership in the 30th over when Rohit mistimed his drive.

Rahul joined him in the pavilion after bringing up his second half-century of this tournament.

Virat Kohli made 26, his first sub-50 score in his last six innings, and India’s middle order again struggled to get going.

Rishabh Pant, who made 48 off 41 balls, scored freely but India could not really capitalise on the fine start.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni made 35 but once again failed to launch a late assault which could have taken India past the 350-mark which had looked well within their reach at one stage.

India played two wicketkeepers – Pant and Dinesh Karthik – as specialist batsmen to beef up their misfiring middle order but the woes persisted.

A strong start was imperative to chase down a 300-plus target and Bangladesh were understandably cautious as they embarked on trying to repeat their upset victory against India at the 2007 World Cup.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, returning from a hamstring injury, and Jasprit Bumrah kept it tight up front but Mohammed Shami drew the first blood for India by dismissing Tamim for 22.

Fellow opener Soumya Sarkar could not convert the start he got into a big innings either, hitting Hardik Pandya straight to Kohli at short extra cover to depart for 33.

Shakib brought up his sixth 50-plus score at the tournament but wickets kept tumbling at the other end.

Mohammad Saifuddin (51 not out) and Sabbir Rahman (36) forged the only 50-plus partnership in the Bangladesh innings but they never really threatened to pull off a difficult chase.

West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran was left determined to get better at his craft after failing to guide his side to victory against Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup on Monday despite hitting his highest international score.

The 23-year-old scored his first one-day international century but fell for 118 with Sri Lanka going on to beat the West Indies by 23 runs at Durham.

The left-handed batsman, who made his ODI debut in February, has been hailed by current stalwarts like Chris Gayle as a future star and has also been compared with former West Indies captain and batting great Brian Lara.

“I know people say a lot of things about me but if I don’t perform on the field it makes no sense,” Pooran told reporters. “I just want to get better and better each day. I have had a lot of starts in this tournament but not converted.

“I don’t know what the future holds – I’m just thankful that I got the opportunity to play and I could show the selectors that I could play.

“I don’t want to be like anyone else, I just want to be Nicholas Pooran.”

Chasing 339 for victory, West Indies lost Sunil Ambris and Shai Hope to Sri Lanka pace spearhead Lasith Malinga’s fierce spell with the new ball.

Chris Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer added 49 for the third wicket but West Indies kept losing wickets at regular intervals in their chase.

Pooran combined with Fabian Allen in an 83-run stand to get West Indies, who have managed just one win from eight matches at the ongoing World Cup, close before the latter was run out for 51 after a mix-up.

Pooran continued to find boundaries to set up a tense finale before he was caught behind off experienced all-rounder Angelo Mathews, who was bowling in an ODI for the first time since December 2017.

“Myself and Fabian were in control. The bowlers didn’t know where to bowl and we were scoring easily,” Pooran said.

“This is cricket, it’s unfortunate. I had to capitalise in that over. I could have hit the ball for four and six and it’s a different game. I’m just disappointed. We are just finding ways to lose our games.

“We have a young team and a young batting line-up. Hopefully a lot of guys like me, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope and Fabian Allen have learned from this tournament.”

Scoreboard

LONDON, July 2, (Agencies): Scoreboard at close of play of match 40 between Bangladesh and India on Tuesday.

INDIA

K.L. Rahul c Rahim b R. Hossain    77

R. Sharma c Das b Sarkar             104

V. Kohli c R. Hossain b Rahman    26

R. Pant c M. Hossain b S. Al Hasan 48

H. Pandya c Sarkar b M. Rahman 0

MS Dhoni c S. Al Hasan b Rahman 35

D. Karthik c M. Hossain b Rahman                8

B. Kumar run out (Rahim)          2

M. Shami b Rahman   1

Extras: (6w, 1nb, 6lb) 13

Total: (9 wkts, 50 overs)             314

Fall of Wickets: 1-180 (Sharma), 2-195 (Rahul), 3-237 (Kohli), 4-237 (Pandya), 5-277 (Pant), 6-298 (Karthik), 7-311 (Dhoni), 8-314 (Kumar), 9-314 (Shami)

Did not bat: Bumrah, Chahal

Bowling: Mortaza 5-0-36-0, Saifuddin 7-0-59-0, M. Rahman 10-1-59-5, S. Al Hasan 10-0-41-1, M. Hossain 4-0-32-0, R. Hossain 8-0-48-1, Sarkar 6-0-33-1

BANGLADESH

T. Iqbal b Shami         22

S. Sarkar c Kohli b Pandya           33

S. Al Hasan c Karthik b Pandya     66

M. Rahim c Shami b Chahal         24

L. Das c Karthik b Pandya            22

M. Hossain b Bumrah 3

S. Rahman b Bumrah 36

M. Saifuddin not out 51

M. Mortaza c Dhoni b Kumar      8

R. Hossain b Bumrah  9

M. Rahman b Bumrah                0

Extras: (10w, 2lb)       12

Total: (all out, 48 overs)             286

Fall of Wickets: 1-39 (Iqbal), 2-74 (Sarkar), 3-121 (Rahim), 4-162 (Das), 5-173 (Saikat), 6-179 (Al Hasan), 7-245 (S. Rahman), 8-257 (Mortaza), 9-286 (R. Hossain), 10-286 (M. Rahman)

Bowling: Kumar 9-0-51-1, Bumrah 10-1-55-4, Shami 9-0-68-1, Chahal 10-0-50-1, H. Pandya 10-0-60-3

Match result: India win by 28 runs

Umpires: Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Marais Erasmus

TV Umpire: Aleem Dar

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle

            P          W         L          NR        T          NRR      Pts

Australia-x 8              7              1              0              0              +1.000      14

India-x      8              6              1              1              0              +0.811      13

N. Zealand 8              5              2              1              0              +0.572      11

England    8              5              3              0              0              +1.000      10

Pakistan    8              4              3              1              0              -0.792       9

S. Lanka    8              3              3              2              0              -0.934       8

B’desh      8              3              4              1              0              -0.195       7

S. Africa    8              2              5              1              0              -0.080       5

W. Indies  8              1              6              1              0              -0.335       3

Afghanistan 8            0              8              0              0              -1.418       0

This news has been read 9256 times!

Related Articles

Back to top button

Advt Blocker Detected

Kindly disable the Ad blocker

Verified by MonsterInsights