Shubman Gill’s previous three scores coming into the Champions Trophy read: 87, 60 and 112 (all against England). On Thursday, the 25-year-old continued his purple patch as he smashed his eighth ODI hundred (101 n.o, 129b, 9×4, 2×6) to help India kickstart its Champions Trophy campaign with a six-wicket win over Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In pursuit of a modest target of 229, Gill showed why he is the top-ranked batter in the format as he expertly shepherded the chase and carried his bat through.

He was aggressive in the PowerPlay and then hunkered down to navigate the tricky middle phase smartly when the spinners operated, ensuring the Men in Blue got its campaign off to a winning start.

The victory, though, was in no small measure set up by the bowlers led by Mohammed Shami (10-0-53-5), who scalped his sixth five-wicket haul to restrict Bangladesh to 228.

On a pitch that was on the slower side, it was imperative to maximise the PowerPlay and openers Rohit Sharma and Gill got India off to a flyer, scoring 69 in the first 10 overs.

After starting tentatively against Mustafizur Rahman, Rohit took the left-arm pacer to the cleaners, smoking him for seven boundaries with some serene shots through the square on the off-side.

Gill was not to be left behind, pulling the fiery Tanzim Hasan for a six and then charging down to loft him over covers.

But Bangladesh got back into the contest through its spinners Rishad Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who squeezed the runs dry during the middle-overs.

Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men had a small opening in the game when India lost three wickets for 22 runs and was in a spot of bother at 144 for four.

However, Gill and K.L. Rahul who reaffirmed his status as the finisher by stroking a measured unbeaten 41 – stitched an unbroken 87-run stand for the fifth wicket to take their side home.

Rescue job

Earlier, it was an innings of two halves for the Tigers, whose top-order just crumbled inside the PowerPlay before Towhid Hridoy (100) and Jaker Ali (68) repaired the damage by forging a masterful 154-run alliance for the sixth wicket.

Electing to bat, Bangladesh got off on the wrong foot, losing two wickets in the first two overs. Things went pear-shaped in the ninth over when Axar Patel struck off consecutive deliveries to remove Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to leave the Men in Green tottering at 35 for five.

It could have been even worse had Rohit not fumbled a straightforward chance off the very next delivery at first slip, which gave Jaker a reprieve and denied Axar a hat-trick.

With their backs to the wall, Hridoy and Jaker showed great application, looking to bat 50 overs without trying anything extravagant.

Once he crossed 50, Hridoy seamlessly shifted gears, collecting 30 runs off the next 14 deliveries, raining sixes and fours. As he neared his landmark, the 24-year-old started cramping up badly, limping across the pitch, but eventually got there in the penultimate over.

Though his efforts gave something for his side to bowl at, it was never going to be enough against a strong Indian batting line-up.

SCOREBOARD

BANGLADESH

Tanzid Hasan c Rahul b Axar 25 (25b, 4×4), Soumya Sarkar c Rahul b Shami 0 (5b), Najmul Shanto c Kohli b Harshit 0 (2b), Mehidy Hasan Miraz c Gill b Shami 5 (10b, 1×4), Towhid Hridoy c Shami b Harshit 100 (118b, 6×4, 2×6), Mushfiqur Rahim c Rahul b Axar 0 (1b), Jaker Ali c Kohli b Shami 68 (114b, 4×4), Rishad Hossain c Hardik b Harshit 18 (12b, 1×4, 2×6), Tanzim Hasan b Shami 0 (4b), Taskin Ahmed c Shreyas b Shami 3 (6b), Mustafizur Rahman (not out) 0 (2b); Extras (lb-1, w-7, nb-1): 9; Total (in 49.4 overs): 228.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-1 (Sarkar, 0.6 overs), 2-2 (Najmul, 1.4), 3-26 (Mehidy, 6.2), 4-35 (Tanzid, 8.2), 5-35 (Mushfiqur, 8.3), 6-189 (Jaker, 42.4), 7-214 (Rishad, 45.3), 8-215 (Tanzim, 46.2), 9-228 (Taskin, 48.4).

INDIA BOWLING

Shami 10-0-53-5, Harshit 7.4-0-31-3, Axar 9-1-43-2, Hardik 4-0-20-0, Jadeja 9-0-37-0, Kuldeep 10-0-43-0.

INDIA

Rohit Sharma c Rishad b Taskin 41 (36b, 7×4), Shubman Gill (not out) 101 (129b, 9×4, 2×6), Virat Kohli c Sarkar b Rishad 22 (38b, 1×4), Shreyas Iyer c Najmul b Mustafizur 15 (17b, 2×4), Axar Patel c & b Rishad 8 (12b, 1×4), K.L. Rahul (not out) 41 (47b, 1×4, 2×6); Extras (w-3): 3; Total (for four wkts. in 46.3 overs): 231.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-69 (Rohit, 9.5), 2-112 (Kohli, 22.4), 3-133 (Shreyas, 27.4), 4-144 (Axar, 30.1).

BANGLADESH BOWLING

Taskin 9-0-36-1, Mustafizur 9-0-62-1, Tanzim 8.3-0-58-0, Mehidy 10-0-37-0, Rishad 10-0-38-2.

India won by six wickets with 21 balls to spare.

Toss: Bangladesh.

PoM: Gill.

India’s Rishabh Pant taking a run during the match between India vs Bangladesh IDFC first Test match at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai
| Photo Credit: Ragu R

The swashbuckling Rishabh Pant on Sunday (September 22, 2024) asserted that Test cricket is where “I belong the most” after marking his return to his favourite format with a sensational hundred against Bangladesh here.

Pant hit his sixth Test century, his first since returning to competitive cricket after recovering from injuries he suffered in a horrific car accident in December 2022, on the third day of the opening Test against Bangladesh.

Thanks to hundreds by Pant and Shubman Gill, India set Bangladesh an improbable target of 515, but the visitors fell way short of the mark after being bowled out for 234 in their second innings at Chepauk.

“100 was special because I love playing in Chennai. After injury, I wanted to play all three formats and this was my first Test. Hope to get better every day,” Pant said after India’s 280-run win.

“It was emotional, I wanted to score each and every match which didn’t happen but wanted to do well in Tests, which is where I belong the most. Being on the field gives me pleasure more than anything else.”

Playing in the manner that defines his batting, Pant struck a fluent 109 off 128 balls, lacing his innings with 13 fours and four sixes. The keeper-batter added 167 runs for the fourth wicket with Gill (119 off 176 balls) and helped lift India from 67/3 to 287/4 declared in their second essay.

“I don’t know what people say outside but I try to read the situation in my own way. When you are 30-3, you need to stitch a partnership. That’s what Gill and I did.

“To do it with a guy who I have a great relationship with is special,” Pant said.

After Pant and Gill’s exploits with the bat, senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin completed a memorable all-round outing with a six-wicket haul as a dominant India crushed the visitors with more than five sessions to spare.

First-inning centurion Ashwin (6/88) did the bulk of the damage, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up 3/58.

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored for Bangladesh with an 82 off 127 balls.