In a dramatic encounter during the Champions Trophy group stage in Dubai, Towhid Hridoy’s fighting maiden ODI century was the standout performance as Bangladesh battled to a total of 228, despite a dominant bowling display from India. Mohammed Shami led the charge for India with a remarkable 5/53 haul, while Harshit Rana supported with 3/31, as Bangladesh were left to rue missed opportunities and early collapses.
Bangladesh Struggles Early, Hridoy and Ali Fight Back
Bangladesh’s decision to bat first quickly backfired, as they found themselves in deep trouble right from the start. Mohammed Shami made early inroads, dismissing Soumya Sarkar in the first over. Sarkar played an ill-fated drive and was caught behind after an inside edge. The very next over saw Harshit Rana get his first wicket, as Najmul Hossain threw his bat at a wide delivery, only to send the ball straight to Virat Kohli at second slip. In a flash, Bangladesh were reeling at 2/2 after just two overs, and things only got worse.
The carnage continued as Shami and Axar Patel struck again in quick succession. Mehidy Hasan failed to last long, falling to Shami. Then, with the introduction of Axar Patel, disaster struck once more. Axar bowled a ball angled across Tanzim Hasan, who edged it to the keeper. On the very next ball, Axar’s flight bamboozled Mushfiqur Rahim, inducing an outside edge. Had it not been for Rohit Sharma‘s dropped chance at first slip, Bangladesh could have been reduced to a dismal 35/6.
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However, it was then that a memorable partnership began to develop between Jaker Ali and Towhid Hridoy. Both batters showed remarkable resilience, working to steady the ship. They put on a 154-run partnership that brought Bangladesh back into contention, a partnership built on patience and solid defense. Both Hridoy and Jaker played carefully, but when the opportunity came, they did not hesitate to find the boundary.
Hridoy’s Century and Bangladesh’s Recovery
Hridoy, who had already been dropped once and survived a tight spell, continued to show determination. Jaker reached his half-century off 87 balls, while Hridoy took 84 balls to reach his milestone. The partnership finally started to accelerate as Hridoy began to open up. He struck a massive six off Kuldeep Yadav and followed it up with another big slog sweep for six off Ravindra Jadeja in the 40th over. This quick scoring lifted Bangladesh’s run rate above 4 per over, providing much-needed momentum.
Just as it seemed Bangladesh might stage a strong recovery, Shami returned to break the stand, dismissing Jaker for 68. With that wicket, Shami achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the fastest to reach 200 wickets in ODIs in terms of balls bowled.
Late Wickets and Hridoy’s Struggles
In the closing stages, Bangladesh’s late surge faltered as wickets fell quickly. Rishad Hossain played a cameo, smashing 4, 6, 6 against Axar to help Bangladesh reach 200. However, with Hridoy struggling due to cramps and wickets continuing to tumble, the momentum was lost. The tail-end collapsed rapidly, with Shami finishing his five-wicket haul as Bangladesh were bowled out for 228 in 49.4 overs.
India’s Response
With a target of 229, India will take confidence from their bowlers’ performances. While Bangladesh fought hard in patches, their inability to capitalize on dropped catches and missed opportunities meant they fell short. Shami’s exceptional performance will undoubtedly give India the upper hand as they look to chase down the target.
Brief Scores:
- Bangladesh: 228 all out in 49.4 overs (Towhid Hridoy 100, Jaker Ali 68; Mohammed Shami 5/53, Harshit Rana 3/31)
- India: Target 229
