DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An impressive unbeaten century by Shubman Gill led India to a solid six-wicket victory over Bangladesh, marking a successful start to their Champions Trophy campaign on Thursday.
Bowler Mohammed Shami shone brightly, securing 5 wickets for 53 runs, which ultimately helped wrap up Bangladesh’s innings at 228 runs. Bangladesh faced a disastrous start, falling to 35-5 by the ninth over. However, Towhid Hridoy’s maiden international century played a pivotal role in preventing a complete collapse.
In response, Gill played a crucial role in India’s innings, finishing with a score of 101 not out from 129 balls — his eighth century in one-day internationals. India successfully chased down the target, reaching 231-4 with 21 balls to spare.
Gill’s innings included nine boundaries and two sixes. He forged a significant 69-run partnership off 59 balls with captain Rohit Sharma, putting India ahead of the required run rate. Additionally, he partnered with Lokesh Rahul, who contributed an unbeaten 41 and struck the final blow with a hook shot for six, as the duo combined for 87 runs off 98 deliveries.
“Gill has the class we all know about,” remarked Sharma. “What he showcased tonight should not come as a surprise to anyone. It was impressive to see him remain until the end.”
After winning the toss, Bangladesh decided to bat first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium; however, they quickly found themselves in trouble. Shami struck in the very first over, dismissing Soumya Sarkar, followed by the skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto getting caught in the second over bowled by Harshit Rana.
In a dismal seventh over for Bangladesh, Shami’s crafty bowling saw Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught in the slips. The ninth over nearly ended in catastrophe for the Bangladesh side as Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were both dismissed, putting them at 35-5. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was on the brink of a hat trick, but Sharma failed to hold onto a catch that could have sealed Bangladesh’s fate even sooner.
Lucky to have been given a second chance, Bangladesh steadied their ship with a partnership of 154 runs between Hridoy and Jaker Ali, managing to rebuild their innings. Hridoy reached his first ODI century, marking a significant achievement, delivering a commendable performance with a score of 100 off 118 balls, featuring six fours and two sixes.
As Bangladesh crossed the 200-run mark in the 45th over, they finished their innings at a total that many considered to be under par, having secured just 63 runs in the last 10 overs. Shanto reflected on this, noting that their poor start during the first powerplay proved detrimental, ultimately costing them runs.
In addition to Shami’s outstanding six five-wicket haul in ODIs, Rana contributed 3 wickets for 31 runs, with Patel taking 2 wickets for 43 runs.
Chasing down the target of 229, India raced to 50 runs in just 48 balls, with Sharma leading the charge until his dismissal in the 10th over. Virat Kohli contributed with 22 runs but fell short, followed by quick dismissals of Shreyas Iyer and Patel, leaving India at 144-4 by the 31st over after a sudden flurry of three wickets in a span of 45 deliveries.
Gill remained steadfast, reaching 50 runs in 69 balls, while Rahul took his time as well, getting a lucky break in the 37th over when he was dropped. Together, they navigated their innings without any further mishaps. Ultimately, Gill reached his century in 125 balls, marking the slowest century for India in an ODI in the last six years.
Looking ahead, India is set to face their long-standing rival, Pakistan, on Sunday in Dubai, while Bangladesh prepares to confront New Zealand in Rawalpindi on Monday.
