The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 clash in Dubai on Thursday saw many terrific performances. Mohammed Shami became the highest Indian wicket-taker in ICC events, Rohit Sharma crossed the 11,000-run mark in ODIs while Bangladesh’s Towhid Hridoy struck a fine century after his team’s tumultuous start. However, there were some bloopers too. Rohit Sharma dropped a catch to deny Axar Patel a hat-trick. Then, KL Rahul‘s wicketkeeping came under the scanner as he failed to collect the ball and a dismissal chance was missed. After Rahul’s missed effort, the camera showed a frustrated Virat Kohli. “That was the third fielding lapse for India,” Harsha Bhogle said on air.
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A cramping Towhid Hridoy made a courageous maiden ODI hundred but led by five-wicket man Mohammed Shami India managed to keep Bangladesh to an underwhelming 228 in their Champions Trophy opener on Thursday. Hridoy (100, 118b, 6×4, 2×6) and an equally gutsy Jaker Ali (68, 114b, 4×4) added 154 for an doughty sixth-wicket stand to drag Bangladesh back from the depth of 35 for five after they elected to bat.
Shami also eased a lot of worries over the absence of injured pace ace Jasprit Bumrah with a five for 53 effort, and during the spell he also became the fastest Indian bowler to reach 200 ODI wickets.
Hridoy’s innings was an example of how to construct an innings yet maintain a healthy run-rate as he reached the milestone in just 114 balls.
He and Ali also showed excellent composure under pressure.
However, both the Bangladesh batters benefited from the largesse of Indian fielders, as Ali was dropped on zero off the first ball he faced off left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2/43).
It also robbed Axar of a hat-trick after he dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim and Tanzid Hasan off successive deliveries.
Hridoy had the fortune when he was grassed by Hardik Pandya at mid-off off Kuldeep Yadav when he was on 23.
KL Rahul, who was sharp behind the stumps, floored a stumping chance to give the second reprieve for Hridoy. Indian fielders were also sloppy in the middle passage, allowing the Bangladesh batters to steadily collect singles and twos to ease some pressure.
But those moments of slip-ups should not take anything away from the way Indian bowlers, especially Shami, used the new ball on a rather slow but smooth pitch.
Shami, who had an average outing against England in T20I and ODI series recently at home, did not disappoint on the big stage and took the wicket of opener Soumya Sarkar in the first over itself.
He did not take much time to grab his second wicket when he ousted Mehdy Hasan Miraz — caught brilliantly by Shubman Gill in the slips.
The Bengal pacer later returned to break the determined stand between Hridoy and Ali, dismissing the latter.
He later took two more wickets, and now the 34-year-old is India’s highest wicket taker in ICC tournaments, going past former pacer Zaheer Khan (59).
Harshit Rana (3/31), who was preferred over left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, gave good backing to his senior partner.
With PTI inputs
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