Despite a tricky wicket after the rain interruption India were too good for Bangladesh in the first One- Day International (ODI). Abhijit Banare looks at the key moments of the day’s play.
Bangladesh’s inability to build big partnerships
272 appears a good total but Bangladesh would have realised that they were meant to set a much stiffer target. The third, fourth and fifth wicket shared partnerships on 52, 47 and 65 respectively but all the three partnerships were broken by the batsmen’s mistake than being tricked by the bowler. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was in such sublime touch and it seemed there was nothing less than a three-figure mark for him. But the rush of blood to attack Parvez Rasool eventually costed at least 15-20 runs for Bangladesh in the eventual total.
Parvez Rasool’s fearless bowling
Rasool’s attitude while bowling clearly reflects the influence of his mentor Bishan Singh Bedi. Rasool, even in the Indian Premier League wasn’t concerned about being hit and focused on attacking. Even on Sunday he went for runs but kept enticing the batsman to come down the track and hit. Both Anamul Haque and Mushfiqur fell for the same tactic. He also managed to get some turn on a sluggish wicket.
Shoddy umpiring
There were three poor umpiring decisions, of which two resulted in the batsmen dismissed for ducks and the other of an in-form batsman on 50. The first one of the day was of Tamim Iqbal who was adjudged caught behind by Kumar Dharmasena. Tamim was visibly frustrated as he has been struggling with form and a wrong decision was the least he would’ve expected. The other two were in the Indian innings. A well-set Robin Uthappa was given out by Enamul Haque. Embarrassingly, it was the persistent appeal from Shakib which pressurised the umpire to raise his finger. Replays showed that Uthappa had got a thick edge. The opener too expressed his frustration. The final one for the day was that of Cheteshwar Pujara. The new India No 3 in ODIs was given out leg before even as the ball hit him high on the thigh pad. A tough moment for someone eager to make inroads in to the ODI team.
Robin Uthappa
Many say he is in the form of his life. But few remember that form allows the confidence to settle in, the duration of that form is determined by how hungry the player is to make the most out of it. Till now, Uthappa has looked invincible. On Sunday, he was at ease playing his first match for India after six years. The deliberate edge to pick a boundary early on showed the touch he is in. As the innings progressed, he fearlessly stepped out of the crease and hit the bowlers with disdain. Perhaps, Uthappa is ensuring that the ODI spot for England tour is cemented after missing out on the Test berth.
Ajinkya Rahane
Another batsman who had to wait for a long time to prove his mettle. Ajinkya Rahane‘s ability to adapt on all kinds of pitches makes him an invaluable asset to the team. The fluent start to the chase was one aspect and the grit he showed to counter-attack on a turning wicket post the rain break showed why he’s special. Not to forget the two well-judged catches taken by him earlier in the day.
Among the positive aspects for India was the disciplined bowling to strangle the aggressive openers. For Bangladesh, capitalising on the starts will be one concern. But the bigger worry will be the pace attack which looked pedestrian against the Indian openers.
(Abhijit Banareis a reporter at CricketCountry. He is an avid quizzer and loves to analyse and dig out interesting facts which allows him to learn something new every day. Apart from cricket he also likes to keep a sharp eye on Indian politics, and can be followed on Twitter and blog)
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