Bangladesh out of race as India reach World Cup semifinals despite Mustafizur 5-for

Half-centuries by Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin after a five-wicket haul by Mustafizur Rahman have gone in vain as Bangladesh have lost their virtual World Cup quarter-final match against India by 28 runs.

Ariful Islam Roneyfrom Birminghambdnews24.com
Published : 2 July 2019, 05:38 PM
Updated : 2 July 2019, 07:44 PM

India confirmed their place in the last four of the tournament with the win over Bangladesh after Rohit Sharma scored his fourth century this World Cup at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on Tuesday.

Rohit Sharma smashed his fourth hundred and shared an 180-run opening partnership with Lokesh Rahul (77) to lay the foundations for India's 314-9 after Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to bat first.

Bangladesh fell short in a stiff chase and were all out for 286 in reply.

Rohit took full advantage of being dropped by Tamim Iqbal on nine to make 104 and went on to equal the record set by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, who scored four hundreds at the 2015 World Cup.

Shakib once again led the chase for the Tigers with a promising 66 – his sixth half-century in seven innings – but when he was dismissed by Hardik Pandya it snuffed out any realistic hopes for Bangladesh.

His 47-run partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim (24) was budding but the Tigers bit the dust losing wicket at regular intervals as the Indian bowlers intelligently varied their line and length on a sluggish wicket.

Hardik Pandya made the most of the slowness of the pitch and took the crucial wickets of opener Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, and Shakib in the 34th over when game had already slipped away from Bangladesh’s grasp, who were struggling at 179 for 6.

Tamim was the first to fall chopping down Mohammed Shami’s delivery to the stumps while Soumya hit a wide one straight to cover and Mushfiqur swept a tossed up delivery from Yuzvendra Chahal to square leg.

Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers with four wickets, including two in the final deliveries, after the final blows to Bangladesh’s hopes for a win by taking the wickets of Mosaddek Hossain and Sabbir Rahman, who was the third leading scorer of Bangladesh with 36 runs.

Sabbir and Saifuddin counterattacked and hit Mohammed Shami for four boundaries in the same over. The duo kept Bangladesh in the hunt and threatened to take the game closer. But Bumrah took out Sabbir for 36, ending the 66-run stand – the highest of the innings

Saifuddin offered a glimmer of hope with a defiant, unbeaten 51 off 38 but ran out of partners at the other end.

Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza hit the second six of Bangladesh’s innings before being out in the 45th over.

India are now placed second on the points table with 13 points, only one behind leaders Australia, with their final group match scheduled for Saturday against Sri Lanka, who are already out of the race.

New Zealand, England and Pakistan will play their final group matches for the two other semi-final spots.

New Zealand, with a better run rate, have the best chance of making it to the knockout stage even if they are beaten by England on Wednesday.

A loss to New Zealand will make the hosts looking to the results of the match between Bangladesh and Pakistan on Friday.

Earlier, the splendid five-wicket haul by Mustafizur in the death overs helped limit India to a moderate total as Virat Kohli (26) and the others of his side failed to capitalise on the highest opening partnership of this World Cup. 

Only Rishabh Pant (48) could make most of the advantage as Bangladesh came back into the game through Mustafizur’s double-wicket maiden when Kohli's pull found square-leg and Pandya edged his second ball to slip.

MS Dhoni once again failed to hit big as the same pitch used in their lost game against England was slowing down further.

Mustafizur dismissed Dhoni and Shami in the last over to complete his five-wicket haul, his third against India.

Mashrafe did not return to the attack after bleeding 36 runs in five overs while Saifuddin conceded 59 in seven as Bangladesh’s woes with the new ball continued.