Bangladesh v India, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi
June 28, 2008
25 overs: India 152 for 2 (Gambhir 74*, Raina 46*) need another 132 runs to beat Bangladesh 283 for 6 (Kapali 115, Tamim 55)
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina profited from the generosity of Bangladesh's fielders as India appeared set to breeze past another stiff target at the National Stadium in Karachi. Two days after making mincemeat of 300 against Pakistan, they were 152 for 2 at the halfway stage, in pursuit of 284 for victory. Shahadat Hossain, all lively pace and whole-hearted grunting, had given Bangladesh hope with two wickets in the first Powerplay, but the partnership between Raina and Gambhir upset Mohammad Ashraful's best-laid plans. Butter fingers didn't help.
Gambhir had made 56 when his attempt to muscle Mashrafe Mortaza over the infield was sliced up in the air towards point. Farhad Reza made a mess of the catch, and Mortaza was left to squat on the pitch and hold his head in his hands. Soon after, still in the final Powerplay, Raina experienced his own adrenaline-rush moment, top-edging a pull. But again, Mortaza's celebrations were aborted as Mahmudullah spilt the chance at fine leg. Raina had made just 16 at that stage.
Bangladesh had started well enough, with Robin Uthappa inside-edging a full delivery on to his stumps. That brought in Rohit Sharma, another whose fortunes have waned in recent times. With Bangladesh especially generous with overthrows, India didn't need to take undue risks, and Rohit soon got going with an imperious pull and a cover drive for fours.
With Gambhir cutting and pulling anything that was slightly off target, the 50 came quickly enough, but soon after Rohit flicked Shahadat straight to midwicket. Raina, in resplendent form this tournament, was content to rotate the strike early on, and Gambhir quickly got to his half-century with a four and six off Mahmudullah.
The catches were dropped soon after, and with it, Bangladesh's chances of a famous upset may just have gone off into the night sky.
50 overs: Bangladesh 283 for 6 (Kapali 115, Tamim 55) against India
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A truly breathtaking 115 from Alok Kapali utterly transformed the opening game of the Asia Cup's Super Four, with Bangladesh suddenly finding an extra gear to race to 283 from their 50 overs. Despite an attractive half-century from Tamim Iqbal at the top of the order, the innings had meandered along for 42 overs before Kapali cut loose with a ferocity that brooked no answer from the Indians. Mahmudullah turned over the strike at the other end, contributing only 24 to the century partnership as Kapali struck the ball with power and precision.
With eight overs remaining, the innings was becalmed. Pragyan Ojha had bowled a tidy spell and taken two wickets on debut, Yusuf Pathan had given little away, and Ishant Sharma had kept things quiet when called upon. But when Yusuf came on to bowl his final over, Kapali, then on 47 from 64 balls, exploded into life. Two big slog-sweeps for six set the tone, and when RP Singh returned, both batsmen scythed him over backward point for fours.
Manpreet Gony, whose second international outing was a great deal more taxing than the first against Hong Kong, then went for four, six and six as Kapali started to swing with genuine confidence. Mahendra Singh Dhoni once again turned to Ishant to apply a tourniquet, but to no avail. Kapali clipped a slow yorker beautifully through midwicket and then carved one past point as 61 came in just five overs. Of that, 50 had come off Kapali's bat.
India were left to rue another poor session in the field. Kapali had made just 25 when Gony misjudged a catch at long-on off the bowling of Yusuf. Gautam Gambhir gave him another reprieve late on, but by then he had roared into three figures, and changed the complexion of the match.
The innings had a much more circumspect start, with Tamim's cover drive for four off RP the only boundary in the first five overs. But when Nazimuddin cut RP straight to third man, it brought Ashraful to the crease, and there was no dawdling after that. He was fortunate that a slap through point off Gony just brushed Suresh Raina's fingers, but Gony didn't help his cause either by straying on to the pads once too often.
A tidy clip for four off one such delivery got Tamim past 1,000 ODI runs, and when Ashraful then took two fours from an RP over, India's early control had all but vanished. Dhoni turned to Ishant to stem the tide, but Tamim, one of the heroes of that famous World Cup win over India, greeted him with a superb straight drive and a fortuitous edge for four.
Unfortunately for Bangladesh, Ashraful's profligate streak came to the fore just when his team were on top. Gony had been brought back for a second spell, and a half-hearted drive on the up went to Ojha at mid-off. A first international wicket for Gony, and a first catch for Ojha.
Raqibul and Tamim continued to pick up runs at a fair clip, and Dhoni threw Ojha the ball in the 17th over. He started tidily enough, giving little away, and was unlucky as a thick outside edge that took Tamim past 50 just evaded the man at slip.
Yet again though, a moment's carelessness cost Bangladesh dearly. Having creamed Ishant through the covers for four, Tamim then tried to deflect one fine off the pads. Too fine as it turned out, with Dhoni making good ground to his right to take a splendid catch. The second and third Powerplays had fetched just 42, and Bangladesh had to do it all over again.
Raqibul Hasan expressed the desire to push on with a big heave over long-off against Ojha, but was flummoxed soon after, leaving Bangladesh to focus on consolidation rather than acceleration. Ojha came up with a beautiful delivery that turned past the defensive prod to take off stump, and leave Bangladesh on 120 for 4.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Kapali consolidated with a 49-run partnership, but India's bowlers, with Ojha varying his flight cleverly, were slowly establishing a stranglehold. Ojha's second wicket came courtesy a little extra bounce, with Mushfiqur's attempt at a cut finding only Dhoni's gloves.
At that stage, India might have scented the kill. Instead, with Kapali in free-stroking mood, the hunters became the hunted. The last eight overs fetched 90 runs, as Bangladesh overhauled their previous-highest total against India by 26 runs. On a placid pitch, it might still not be enough, but once again, a pint-sized Bangladeshi batsman had left India with a bloody nose.
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