Last night India sore Bangladesh home with a 4-wicket victory to guarantee a place in the final of the TVS Cup. Gautam Gambhir set up the game with a quick fire 71 to see India home. Although Khaled Mashud caught him behind it was good enough to ensure a man of the match performance

Earlier in the day Bangladesh had set up a modest total of 207 in 49.4 overs. The innings started with Mehrab Hossain being dropped by Dinesh Mongia. Soon after future-star-to-be Mohammad Ashraful went for a wild drive outside off only to get an inside edge to shatter off-stump. Agit Agarkar had struck for India’s first wicket. So brought to the crease was highest Bangladeshi test scorer Habibul Bashar on the comeback trail from a horrid run of duck that sore him consistently loose his place in the Bangladeshi team. Mehrab Hossain who’d been out of the team for over a year and Habibul Bashar were in together to see Bangladesh to a possible rare victory.

Hope was high before the match because it was almost a second-string India side without the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Harbajhan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Rahud Dravid, Zaheer Khan and Javigal Srinath. The hopes of millions of Bangladeshi supporters went down the toilet with the dismissal of Ashraful.

But Bashar and Hossain were desperate to bring back form and cement a place in the Bangladesh Cricket Team and formed a solid partnership. Mehrab got the pace on early playing some ferocious cuts and pulls while Bashar seemed to be just enjoying that he was out there. Dinesh Mongia was having a nightmare in the field as he put down Mehrab for the second time. It appeared to be his day although when on 30 he clipped one in the air for a stunning catch by Agit Agarkar of Sanjay Bangar’s first ball. Mehrab had done his cameo and brought in another cricketer on the comeback train Javed Belim Omar. Omar had been dropped for the World Cup to the surprise of the cricketing world and was warmly accepted back into the team. He played his first game of the cup on Monday against South Africa opening the innings. He scored 9 that day after looking solid he went fishing at one outside off to offer a simple catch to Mark Boucher. Today was his day to try and turn things around after the 34 run partnership from Bashar and Mehrab. He got off the mark immediately but while on 1 he looked to turn the ball to the leg only to offer a catch back to bowler Sarandeep Singh. Bangladesh was left struggling at 3-53. To the crease came young Alok Kapali who took the world by storm in a wonderful tour against the Windies late last year.

Bashar then realized that he needed to pick up the pieces if he was going to make a name for himself once more. He struck a few boundaries and Kapali moved along painstakingly and eventually went to paddle one around the corner only to find the waiting hands of Dinesh Mongia who finally clung onto one. This brought veteran Akram Khan yet another Bangladeshi cricketer who has only recently been re-included in the side. Akram had been re-included in the side midway through the World Cup due to an injury from quick bowler Mashrafe Mortaza. In the couple of games Akram played during the cup he notched up a reasonable amount of runs including a 44 against Kenya that could have seen them home if it wasn’t for a fluky catch by Joseph Angara. He needed to stay with Bashar if Bangladesh were to get anything over 120. At the time Bangladesh were down to 4-78.

Bashar was up into he 30s at the time and looking for another 50. Akram and Bashar moved the score on passed 100 and the drinks break with Akram starting to play some shots of old. Bashar then realized that he needed to keep a cool head if he were to score a half-century. They both slow down and eventually Bashar turned one down to 3rd man for his 7th ODI half century. Immediately after Bashar played a loose one uppishly to Mohammad Kaif. Bashar was gone for 50 and it was obvious that this was the return of a great. He 46 run partnership with Akram had come to a close and Bangladesh had moved onto 5-124 off 35overs. To the crease came wicketkeeper Khaled “Pilot” Mashud. Pilot was often known as the pilot who directed the side and flew them out of troublesome situations. Although Pilot had this reputation he was not known as an aggressive batsman who would get the score ticking over. This is what he needed to do now. He was pushing singles around and sweeping everything before he was adjudged caught behind although replays show that Pilot was unlucky and infact hadn’t hit the ball. New captain Khaled Mahmud was sent to this crease to bat alongside Akram Khan. The 2 did the necessary turning the strike over and punishing the loose one. 24 runs they put on before Akram moved over trying to work one on the leg side and being called plumb infront off the bowling on Virenda Sehwag. Akram now had 973 one-day runs. Bangladesh was 7-163 with hope of crossing 200 now diminishing the last recognized batsman Mohammad Rafique came to the crease. He put on 4 before taking a wild swing and being bowled to Aavishka Salvi. Mahmud was then dismissed next ball for 23 leaving Bangladesh at 9-183 giving them almost no chance to pass 200. Baisya knew he had to swing the willow if BD were to pass 200 for the second consecutive game and he did his job well. Baisya eventually dismissed from a horrible mix-up Bangladesh finished all out for 209.

Taposh Baisya and Tareq Aziz were to open the bowling to Virenda Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. In the first couple of overs the Indians got away with some boundaries. Tareq Aziz then started to bowled some economical overs in before being absolutely betled by Virenda Sehwag scoring 4 consecutive fours. Captain Khaled Mahmud didn’t risk it and brought on his number 1 spinner Mohammad Rafique to replace Tareq Aziz. In his first over he outsmarted Sehwag and got him to miss-time one to Tareq at long off. Captain Sehwag had made a run-a-ball 43, included 8 boundaries. 16-year-old Parthiv Patel was brought up into first-drop and he and Gambhir got the runs flowing. Eventually Rafique and Mahmud tied the batsman down and then Mahmud brought Kapali on for the breakthrough. He succeeded with a wicket-maiden to start off, trapping Patel lbw for 27.

Kaif and Gambhir put on a 47-run partnership hitting boundaries and Kaif put one massive six over the bowler’s head. The case happened to be the only one to get Kaif out was to run him out and that’s what Kapali and Mehrab combined to do and sent Kaif on his way back to the pavilion. Mehrab was brought on to bowl but Sanjay Bangay clouted a massive six off his bowling he was taken out of the attack. Bangar was dismissed on 9 by Mohammad Rafique to get his 33rd ODI wicket and the next over Kapali got the prize wicket of Gambhir caught behind for 71 (his maiden ODI half century). The damage was done though India needed 30 runs to win with 5 wickets in hand. Kale was dismissed in the last over by Mohammad Ashraful (his first wicket of the TVS Cup) and Agarkar finished it off with a boundary getting India home relatively comfortably although hey were in the tail-end. India finished it with 7 overs remaining although if they kept batting they would have only got around 235-240.

Bangladesh has to back up for tomorrow’s game against South Africa. They’re hoping to finish the TVS Cup with at least 3 points, perhaps another 50 and to make over 200 in their 3rd consecutive match.

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