Bangladesh succumb to Yuvraj-inspired India

Samanth Subramanian

April 11, 2003

A superb 102 from Yuvraj Singh - his maiden ODI century - proved an effective catalyst in India's comprehensive 200-run win over Bangladesh, their biggest-ever in one-day cricket. Yuvraj's fine knock helped his side to 276, and although the target was always going to challenge Bangladesh, India's bowlers clinically demolished an insipid batting line-up to hurry the win.

Little fell afoul of Sourav Ganguly's rack-them-up-bowl-them-out plan after he chose to bat. The batting, lacking Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid but not really missing them, proved steady, and middle-order hiccups were brushed aside by Yuvraj during his 85-ball effort.

Yuvraj struck nine fours and four sixes, adding 92 runs off just 10 overs with Ajit Agarkar and capitalising on indifferent Bangladeshi bowling. Spinner after spinner was treated with disdain as Yuvraj used power and timing to murderous effect, pulling often to midwicket and driving the ball elegantly on either side of the wicket.

His knock was the second fiery innings of the day. Earlier, Virender Sehwag celebrated his new role as vice-captain by smashing 11 fours and a six in his 51-ball 63. One Manjural Islam over was taken for three boundaries, while Tapash Baisya conceded 18 in another. His opening partner, debutant Gautam Gambhir, could not do as much. Playing neither forward nor back to Baisya and getting a faint edge through to the wicketkeeper, Gambhir fell for 11 (46 for 1).

Bangladesh turned to spin to slow the pace of the game and succeeded almost immediately. Mohammad Rafique had Sehwag leg-before in his very first over, cutting short the big score that looked imminent (82 for 2).

Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Kaif then started to rotate the strike regularly, and were helped considerably by shoddy Bangladeshi fielding. Alok Kapali at backward point put down a sitter from Ganguly, and in the next over, as if to rub it in, Ganguly dispatched Rafique for two mighty sixes over midwicket.

Both batsmen, however, played rash strokes that led to their downfall. First Ganguly found long-on in pursuit of another six (132 for 3), and then Kaif, sweeping Sanwar Hossain, got a thin edge and was caught behind (144 for 4).

It was left to Yuvraj to steer the lower order through the final overs, and he did so admirably. Wickets continued to fall around him, though. Dinesh Mongia was ruled leg-before (162 for 5), while Parthiv Patel spooned an easy return catch back to Hossain (172 for 6). Even as Yuvraj proceeded implacably to his century, Agarkar lent him good support, and only a brittle tail stopped India from reaching 300.

In any event, it made little difference. Ever since Avishkar Salvi, he of the McGrath-esque action, took his first international wicket in his first over - Mehrab Hossain, leg-before for a duck - the writing was on the wall. Three balls later, Zaheer Khan got one to nip back off the wicket and clip off-stump as Tushar Imran inexplicably shouldered arms (5 for 2).

The procession hardly let up for the remainder of the innings. Mohammad Ashraful glided Salvi into Sehwag's hands at second slip (11 for 3), and Kapali hooked Zaheer down fine-leg's throat (24 for 4). Salvi had a chance at his third wicket when he got one to kick up and take Akram Khan's glove - only for a too-casual Sehwag at slip to drop an absolute sitter.

Sehwag could afford to ruefully grin about it only because Bangladesh were headed determinedly towards a defeat. Soon enough, Agarkar had Khaled Mashud leg-before and Akram Khan caught behind. Mohammad Rafique, as is his wont, had a bit of a gleeful slog, and Khaled Mahmud, aware of his new-found responsibilities as captain, stuck it out into double-digits.

Once that was achieved, however, Mahmud was promptly caught behind, and Zaheer - who ended with four for 19 - wrapped up the final two batsmen to skittle Bangladesh out for 76 in 27.3 overs. Not that they are likely to need it, but India also picked up two bonus points from what turned out to be a hopelessly one-sided encounter, and one that only made predictions of an India-South Africa final that much more certain.

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Matches

Bangladesh v India at Dhaka

Players/Umpires

Yuvraj Singh

Series/Tournaments

TVS Cup (Bangladesh)

Teams

Bangladesh

India

Grounds

Bangabandhu National Stadium