Champions Trophy: Shami’s fifer, Gill’s ton leads India to six-wicket win over Bangladesh (ld)

Dubai, Feb 20 (IANS) Shubman Gill, the newly crowned top-ranked men’s ODI batter, hit a gritty eighth century in the 50-over format and led India to a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh to kick off their 2025 ICC Champions Trophy campaign on a high at the Dubai International Stadium here on Thursday.

After Mohammed Shami’s 5-53 helped India bowl out Bangladesh for 228, making him the fastest Indian bowler to pick 200 ODI wickets, Gill took his time before grinding it hard on a sluggish pitch and amidst the pressure of wickets falling around to hit an unbeaten 101 off 129 balls, laced with nine fours and two sixes.

Gill got good support from captain Rohit Sharma, who made a quick 41, and later from KL Rahul, who fought through a tricky period to hit a very calm and composed 41 off 47 balls, thus showing why he’s preferred ahead of Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper-batter slot, as India finished off the chase with 21 balls to spare.

Though Gill hit his slowest ODI hundred, it was worth its weight in gold for India to go into the clash against Pakistan with more confidence, after being tested thoroughly by Bangladesh’s bowlers. For Bangladesh, who lost five wickets in power-play, their only solace was Towhid Hridoy’s fighting century and his 154-run stand with Jaker Ali, who hit 68.

Shami provided the first breakthrough for India when he got the ball to seam in and take the inside edge of Soumya Sarkar’s attempted drive, with KL Rahul taking a simple catch. One brought two for India as Najmul Hossain Shanto couldn’t keep his drive down and was caught at short cover off Harshit.

Though Tanzid Hasan hit three excellent boundaries, India continued to chip away as Mehidy Hasan Miraz cut hard off Shami but was caught by the first slip taking it over his head. Tanzid’s impressive stay ended when he looked to play Axar for the turn but gave a thick outside edge behind to Rahul.

Axar, though, got the very next delivery to turn and extract Mushfiqur Rahim’s outside edge and have him caught by Rahul for a golden duck. Axar could have got his hat-trick if Rohit Sharma didn’t drop a sitter of Jaker at first slip. From there, Jaker and Hridoy were patient in resurrecting the innings – taking their time to rotate the strike and hitting boundaries whenever a loose ball – either a short ball or anything outside off-stump came their way.

They were also helped by some reprieves – Hridoy was dropped on 23 by Hardik Pandya at mid-off, while Jaker survived a stumping off Ravindra Jadeja as KL Rahul failed to collect the ball when he was on 24.

Jaker broke a 63-ball boundary drought by unfurling a lovely on-drive off Harshit for four, before sweeping Kuldeep Yadav for another boundary and taking a brace off him to get his second ODI fifty off 87 balls. In the next over, Hridoy brought up his fifty in 85 balls with a thick edge off Jadeja going for four.

Hridoy showed an adventurous side of him by lofting and slog-sweeping Kuldeep and Jadeja for a six each. After Jaker pulled Shami for four, Hridoy hit him for two boundaries as the duo got the record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in the Champions Trophy and against India in ODIs.

But India, who didn’t get a wicket in the middle overs, finally broke the 154-run partnership as Jaker toe-ended a slog off a wide slower ball from Shami to long-on, giving the veteran pacer his 200th ODI wicket. With Hridoy struggling due to Dubai heat, Rishad Hossain took Axar to the cleaners by hitting a four and two sixes, before guiding straight to short third off Harshit.

Though Shami had Tanzim Hasan Sakib chopping onto his stumps, a cramping and barely moving Hridoy thumped a drive for four and held fort to get his first ODI hundred in 114 balls. Shami finally got his five-wicket haul when Taskin Ahmed swiped straight to deep mid-wicket, before Harshit had Hridoy top-edging to a short fine leg, as Bangladesh posted a competitive total.

Gill began India’s chase with a glorious pull and loft off Taskin Ahmed for two fours, while Rohit took time to get going as Mustafizur Rahman squared him up with angled across deliveries. After that, Rohit opened up spectacularly to hit him for five boundaries, one of which made him the fourth Indian batter to cross 11,000 runs in ODIs.

After Gill flicked Taskin over mid-on for four, Rohit steered him for two boundaries through the off-side in the eighth over. Gill wowed everyone by unfurling a short-arm jab and hitting Taskin over cover for six and four respectively. But Rohit’s quick start ended when he charged down the pitch to loft Taskin but toe-edged to cover-point, and fell for 41 off 36 balls.

With the ball turning old and now dew there, Bangladesh’s spinners found a turn, meaning that Gill and Virat Kohli had to take the slow route. Just when it seemed like Bangladesh were building pressure firmly, Kohli got his first boundary by pulling a short ball down leg-stump from Mehidy Hasan Miraz. But in the next over, Kohli couldn’t keep the cut down and sliced straight to the backward point off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain.

Gill marched forward to get his fifty in 69 balls, the slowest half-century he’s ever hit in ODIs, even as Shreyas Iyer survived a run-out chance. After slashing Mustafizur through backward point, Shreyas fell on the very next ball as he toe-ended a loft on an off-cutter to mid-off. Three overs later, Axar Patel went for a slog, but got a top edge and Rishad caught it safely off his own bowling.

Gill and KL Rahul displayed a sensible approach – mainly looking to rotate the strike and hitting a boundary when the ball was ideal to be sent to the ropes. Rahul got a life on nine when Jaker Ali dropped his catch at deep square leg. To rub salt in the wounds, Bangladesh bowled two loose balls which Gill and Rahul duly hit for four and six respectively.

Gill going back and short-arm jabbing Rishad through mid-wicket for four brought up the fifty of his important partnership with Rahul, who later cut Rahman through point for a lovely boundary. Gill flicked and pulled Tanzim for six and four respectively, before bringing up his century. Rahul finished the chase in style with a pulled six taking his unbroken fifth-wicket stand with Gill to 87 runs and helping India kick off their Champions Trophy campaign with a win.

Brief Scores: Bangladesh 228 in 49.4 overs (Towhid Hridoy 100, Jaker Ali 68; Mohammed Shami 5-53, Harshit Rana 3-31) lost to India 231/4 in 46.3 overs (Shubman Gill 101 not out, Rohit Sharma 41; Rishad Hossain 2-38, Taskin Ahmed 1-36) by six wickets

–IANS

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