ICC World Cup 2023: India beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets

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• Oct 19, 2023 | Dhupali Das

India continued its winning streak in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, securing their fourth consecutive victory by defeating...

Digital Desk: India continued its winning streak in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, securing their fourth consecutive victory by defeating Bangladesh by seven wickets at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune. Chasing a target of 257, Virat Kohli's splendid century, supported by Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill's contributions, guided India to a convincing win over a Bangladesh side missing their skipper, Shakib al Hasan.

Batting first, Bangladesh posted a total of 256 runs, largely thanks to half-centuries from Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das. However, India's spinners turned the tide in their favor. Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Tanzid at 51, and Ravindra Jadeja's remarkable spell saw him concede only 38 runs in his 10 overs while taking two crucial wickets.

Bangladesh's experienced duo, Mahmadullah and Mushfiqur Rahman, played essential innings of 46 and 38 runs, respectively. Nevertheless, Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah picked up two wickets each, ensuring Bangladesh's innings remained modest despite the promising batting pitch.

Virat Kohli played a captain's knock, scoring an unbeaten 103 runs, including six boundaries and three maximums, securing India's victory. Kohli's century was his first of the tournament, adding to the half-century he scored in the match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. KL Rahul, supporting Kohli's efforts, played a steady innings, accumulating three boundaries and a maximum to help India reach the target without much trouble.

Despite the victory, India faced a concerning moment when all-rounder Hardik Pandya suffered an ankle injury while fielding during the ninth over. He didn't return to the field, and India didn't require his services with the bat in this match. The team hopes that Pandya will recover in time for their upcoming match against in-form New Zealand in Dharamshala on Sunday.

India's consistent performance in the World Cup has been impressive, and they are emerging as strong contenders for the title. The team's formidable batting lineup, led by Kohli and Rohit Sharma, along with their versatile bowling attack, has put them in a promising position as they aim to clinch the ODI World Cup for the third time in their history.