IND v BAN, World Cup 2023: Virat Kohli hundred fires India to dominant win vs Bangladesh

It is India’s World Cup this year? With every passing game, the 2-time champions are reaffirming their status as favourites to win the title.

On Thursday, India made it 4 in 4 as they comfortably outclassed Bangladesh in a tricky test in Pune, dominating their opposition in all 3 facets of the game.

Riding on a sensational 103 not out Virat Kohli and a fifty from Shubman Gill and another sensational acceleration from their their captain Rohit Sharma, India chased down a 257-run target on a good batting pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in just 41.3 overs.

Virat Kohli’s hundred, which came after a late acceleration from the former captain, was the cherry in the cake as the Pune crowd went berserk, celebrating the milestone. It was Kohli’s 48th ODI hundred as he inched one closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI record tally.

It was also Virat Kohli’s first World Cup hundred in 8 years as the legendary batter conceded that he wanted to end the wait when he had the opportunity.

Notably, the last 20 runs of the Indian chase came from Virat Kohli’s bat despite a couple of Bangladesh bowlers trying to fire wides when the superstar batter was nearing his milestone.

It was a fitting end to India’s dominant outing as Virat Kohli hit a six in the 43rd over to take the team past the finish line.

With their 4th successive win in World Cup 2023, India are level on points with New Zealand (8 each) but the 7-wicket win was not enough for the home side to leapfrog the Black Caps on the points table. Notably, the only two unbeaten teams will meet next in Dharamsala on Sunday, October 21.

It was Rohit Sharma who continued to walk the talk and give India the aggressive start at the top. The short balls flew into the stands as Rohit continued to pummel opposition bowlers in the first 10 overs.

Rohit has hit 32 sixes in the first 10 overs in ODI cricket in 2023. The next best on the list is the Australian team with 30. Yes, you read that right.

Rohit looked to get a big one, but he was dismissed after an 88-run opening partnership which came in just 12.4 overs. Rohit skied one, trying to hit another six, gifting Hasan Mahmud his wicket.

Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli carried on with the former captain getting a couple of free-hits to get going at the start of his knock. Gill hit his maiden World Cup fifty but the young batter also missed out on an opportunity to make it big as he got out to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, trying to hit him into the mid-wicket stands right after the milestone.

Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli added 48 for the 3rd wicket but the latter threw his wicket away, trying to hit Mehidy into the orbit at the MCA in Pune.

CLINICAL BOWLING SHOW
Earlier in the day, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja picked up 2 wickets each to restrict Bangladesh on a good batting pitch.

Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das came up with a textbook-opening partnership for Bangladesh, adding 93 for the first wicket. The two saw off the new ball threat before changing gears and hitting a fifty each.

However, the Bangladesh batters failed the trial by spin with Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav spinning a web in the middle overs.

India lost Hardik Pandya to an ankle injury but the rest of the bowling group, including a certain, Kohli chipped in and made sure Bangladesh did not bat them out of the contest.

Rohit Sharma confirmed after the match that the injury to Hardik was not serious.