CT25: Shami 5fer , Gill ton guides India to a hard earned 6 wicket win over Bangladesh in 1st game

 

A fine century by Shubman Gill & a reassuring 5 wicket haul by Mohammed Shami helped India to beat Bangladesh  & start with a win in the Champions trophy 2025 edition. At the start of the match in Dubai, it seemed like it would be a one-sided contest. Batting first, Bangladesh slumped early to 35/5 courtesy fine bowling from Shami & Axar Patel & some ordinary top order Bangladesh batting  but Bangladesh  fought back & posted a total of 228 runs, with Towhid Hridoy scoring a brilliant century and Jaker Ali contributing 68 runs. For India, Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers, claiming five wickets. In response, India successfully chased down the target with six wickets in hand, though concerns remain over Virat Kohli’s form.

Towhid Hridoy battled through pain to deliver a match-defining performance. He carried on despite struggling physically, often limping between the wickets. His 100-run innings off 118 balls, featuring six boundaries and two sixes, ensured Bangladesh had a competitive total. At one stage, it seemed he might not be able to continue, as he collapsed on the field. The physio attended to him, but even after that, he found it difficult to run. Despite the discomfort, he refused to leave the field and took on the Indian bowlers with resilience. Hridoy showed great temperament & played impressive strokes.  

Hridoy was not alone in stabilizing Bangladesh’s innings. Jaker Ali played a crucial supporting role, putting together a 154-run partnership with him. While Hridoy reached his century, Jaker contributed 68 runs, facing 114 deliveries. Initially, they struggled against India's spinners, particularly Axar Patel, attempting sweeps that didn’t connect well. However, they stayed at the crease and made the most of the chances given by Indian fielders, who dropped multiple catches. This partnership was instrumental in Bangladesh reaching 228 runs.

India’s fielding woes were evident throughout the match. Rohit Sharma dropped a crucial catch in the slips, costing Axar Patel a potential hat-trick. Hardik Pandya spilled a catch at mid-off, KL Rahul missed a stumping, and Shreyas Iyer failed to capitalize on a run-out opportunity. These lapses allowed Bangladesh to build partnerships, particularly the Hridoy-Jaker stand. Had Rohit taken Jaker’s catch early on, he would have been dismissed for a duck. Similarly, if Hardik had held on, Hridoy’s innings would have ended at just 23 runs instead of a century.

Mohammed Shami was India’s standout bowler, continuing his impressive return from injury. With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, Shami led the bowling attack brilliantly. He struck early, removing Soumya Sarkar in his first over and later dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Returning for his third spell, he broke the crucial partnership by dismissing Jaker Ali. He then took the wickets of Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Taskin Ahmed in his final overs, finishing with figures of 5/53 in 10 overs.

The pitch in Dubai proved to be sluggish, with the ball not coming onto the bat easily. This made stroke play difficult for Indian batters, including Shubman Gill. Since India will play their upcoming matches on the same surface, it could pose challenges. Rohit Sharma acknowledged at the toss that batting second in Dubai offers an advantage, but if Bangladesh had set a target above 300, India might have struggled.

India started their chade confidently with a composed Gill & an aggressive & confident Rohit Sharma who continued his World cup 2023 template of collaring the opposition bowling at the start . Rohit played some sparkling shots in his rapid 41 before getting out trying to hoist  Taskin .

Despite a solid start by Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli struggled at the crease. Unlike his usual aggressive approach, he played cautiously, failing to accelerate the scoring. He had shown signs of returning to form with a half-century in the last ODI against England, but that momentum didn’t carry over. Kohli managed just 22 runs off 38 balls, hitting only one boundary. With an important clash against Pakistan coming up, India will be hoping for a turnaround in his form.

Shubman Gill once again proved to be a reliable opener for India, anchoring the chase with a composed century. His 125-ball hundred was not flashy but was crucial in ensuring a smooth run chase. However there was no dearth of classy strokes as his drives through the off and a big six was terrific to watch .  He held one end steady while the rest of the batting lineup rotated around him. Thanks to his composed innings, India secured victory with 21 balls to spare. KL Rahul had a decent outing surviving a dropped chance to remain 41 not out . He played some impressive shots later in his knock . 

Gill for his fine 100 was the player of tge match .