Bangladesh Shock India

Bangladesh

Cricket365
March 19, 2007

Bangladesh pulled off a huge shock in their opening World Cup match with a five-wicket win over India in Trinidad.

Bangladesh secured a stunning five-wicket win over 1983 champions India in their World Cup match at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad today to join Sri Lanka at the top of Group B standings.
Set 192 for victory, Bangladesh reached the target with nine balls to spare with half-centuries from Mushfiqur Rahim (56 not out), Saqibul Hasan (53) and Tamim Iqbal (51).
Saqibul and Mushfiqur added 84 for the fourth wicket to leave Bangladesh needing 29 runs from the last 63 balls and although they lost their captain Habibul Bashar with 17 still needed, the underdogs eventually got home comfortably.
Bangladesh, who beat Scotland and New Zealand in their warm-up matches, produced an inspired all-round performance to undermine their more experienced opponents.
They lost opener Shahriar Nafees (two) in the fifth over with the score on 24 but Tamim and Mushfiqur added 45 for the second wicket to keep them on course.
Mushfiqur was a virtual spectator during the partnership as Tamim blasted away, occupying just 53 balls. He took 14 from one over from Zaheer Khan, hitting the fast bowler for consecutive fours and a six before he played loosely at Munaf Patel and was caught by Mahendra Dhoni behind the wicket.
He struck seven fours and two sixes in his 58 minutes at the wicket.
Mushfiqur lost Aftab Ahmed 10 runs later but he and Saqibul consolidated their team's position with some sensible batting in a 138-ball stand.
Saqibul was the aggressor, hitting five fours and one six before his 86-ball innings ended when he advanced down the wicket to Virender Sehwag, missed and Dhoni completed the stumping.
Although Mushfiqur lost Bashar to the same combination, he found a useful partner in Mohammad Ashraful (eight not out) and the pair knocked off the final 17 runs needed for victory.
Mushfiqur faced 107 balls, batted for 187 minutes and struck two sixes and three fours.
Bangladesh laid the platform for victory as India earlier lost their last six wickets for just 32 runs.
Fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza (four for 38) and left-arm finger spinners Abdur Razzak (three for 38) and Mohammad Rafique (three for 35) bowled impressively to undermine the innings after a fifth-wicket partnership of 85 between former captain Sourav Ganguly, who top scored with 66, and Yuvraj Singh (47).
The pair came together with India 72 for four at the midway stage of the innings.
Ganguly, who opened the innings, lost Sehwag in the day's third over and Robin Uthappa in the seventh, both to man-of-the-match Mortaza.
The out-of-form Sehwag dragged a ball back onto his stumps while Uthappa cut straight into the hands of Aftab at point to leave India 21 for two.
Sachin Tendulkar, with an impressive 1,732 runs in World Cup cricket to his name, survived a loud appeal for lbw off Mortaza's first ball and faced eight more before he finally got off the mark, turning the fast bowler to the square leg boundary.
But with his score on seven, he tried to work Razzak's sixth delivery through the onside but the ball took the inner edge of the bat and rebounded off his pad into the gloves of wicketkeeper Mushfiqur.
The Indians also lost skipper Rahul Dravid (14) when Rafique trapped him lbw.
Ganguly and Yuvraj then rebuilt the innings before both fell within one run.
Ganguly brought up his half-century in the 36th over with a push to midwicket. He faced 104 balls in 152 minutes and hit three fours.
Yuvraj appeared on course to emulate his partner until his 58-ball innings ended as he swept Razzak to short fine leg, where Bashar took a simple catch to reduce India to 157 for five.
His dismissal triggered a collapse during which India lost five wickets for just two runs.
Ganguly played a tired-looking shot one run later, hitting Rafique to Razzak at midwicket. His 129-ball innings spanned 179 minutes and included five fours.
The Indians then lost three more wickets for one run. Mahendra Dhoni was caught at point off Rafique, Harbhajan Singh was bowled by Razzak and Ajit Agarkar was caught at the wicket off Mortaza as the Indians plunged to 159 for nine.
Zaheer Khan (15 not out) and Patel (15) added 32 for the last wicket but the damage had already been done.