WC 2023: Virat Kohli Inches Closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s Record with Century in India’s Win Against Bangladesh
Varad Bhatkhande
Pune, 19th October 2023: In an amazing encounter at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, India extended their unbeaten streak in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup by defeating Bangladesh by 7 wickets with 51 balls to spare. India’s impressive form in the tournament continued, while Bangladesh faced another defeat in the ongoing championship.
India, the favourites before the match, had maintained a perfect record, winning all three of their previous matches in the World Cup. Their dominance was evident as they outperformed Bangladesh in every department of the game.
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first. Tanzid Hasan and Liton Das provided a solid start, with Tanzid scoring 51 off 43 balls before being dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav. Liton Das contributed 66 runs from 82 balls before being caught by Shubhman Gill on a Ravindra Jadeja delivery. However, the rest of Bangladesh’s middle order couldn’t maintain the momentum. Mushfiqur Rahim scored 38 off 46 balls and Mahmudullah added 46 runs from 36 balls. Bangladesh managed to post a total of 256 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 50 overs.
India’s bowlers performed admirably, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja taking two wickets each, while Kuldeep Yadav and Shardul Thakur contributed with one wicket each.
Chasing a target of 257 runs, India’s opening was impressive. Rohit Sharma scored 48 off 40 balls before being caught by Towhid Hridoy on Hasan Mahmud’s delivery. Shubhman Gill’s steady innings of 53 off 55 balls ended when he was caught by Mahmudullah off Mehidy Hasan’s bowling. The highlight of the Indian innings was Virat Kohli’s magnificent century, his 78th in international cricket and 49th in One Day Internationals. Kohli remained unbeaten with 103 runs off 97 balls. His consistent form has put him on the brink of breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 51 ODI centuries and moving closer to his 100 centuries in international matches. KL Rahul also made a modest contribution, and India comfortably reached the target, winning the match by 7 wickets with 51 balls to spare.
From the Bangladesh bowling department, Mehidy Hasan claimed two wickets, while Hasan Mahmud took one.
The match was not without controversy, as there were reports of black-market ticket sales surrounding the fixture. In the initial stages of the game, the crowd turnout was lower than expected, raising suspicions of black market activities. Some individuals were even caught by the Pimpri Chinchwad police attempting to sell tickets at exorbitant prices. However, as the match progressed, the crowd arrived in larger numbers, witnessing India’s dominant performance against Bangladesh.
In the next match, Australia will face Pakistan at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, marking the 18th ODI of the tournament. India’s upcoming clash is against New Zealand, the last World Cup finalists, scheduled to be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on October 22, a Sunday.
