India beat Bangladesh: Here are the key takeaways
Two-time champions India came up with a good performance as they outsmarted Bangladesh by 28 runs in the match number 40 of the ICC World Cup 2019 at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Tuesday. The win sealed India's spot in the semis, while Bangladesh's campaign came to an end. In what was an interesting tie, we take a look at the key takeaways.
How did the match pan out?
Winning the toss, Indian skipper Virat Kohli elected to bat first. It was a good decision as the openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul put up a strong 180-run stand, while the former's century allowed India to put up a strong total of 314/9. In reply, Shakib Al Hasan (66) put in a commendable shift, but it wasn't enough in the end.
Rohit on path to surpass Sachin Tendulkar
Rohit has been on a roll in this World Cup. Having scored 544 runs in seven innings at an average of 90.66, including four centuries, he could very well surpass Sachin Tendulkar's record of the most runs in a World Cup. Sachin had hit 673 runs in 2003. With potentially three matches left, Rohit might break this unbreakable record.
Should Rishabh Pant have come at three?
India were in a strong position till 30th over. With chances of 350+ looking strong, it was expected hard-hitting batsman Rishabh Pant would be promoted. However, Kohli decided to not tinkle with the order. While he fell for 26, Pant, who came in at number four, managed a 41-ball 48. We feel India might have tried Pant at three in this match.
Dhoni lacked intent once again
Dhoni faced criticism post the previous game, where he, along with Kedar Jadhav, were panned for not showing the intent to pull off the chase. Today, Dhoni too did not show the intensity. While he did manage to score 35 runs, he couldn't find boundaries. Had runs flowed easily off his bat, India would have posted 350+.
India have a quality bowling attack
While India had limited bowling options today, the pacers bowled beautifully. With quite a few variations, they troubled the Bangladeshi batsmen. Moreover, the pitch deteriorated with every passing over, as the batsmen found it hard to execute their shots. Thus, it was a smart toss to win, while India utilized the conditions to the fullest.
Bangladesh batsmen have failed to back up Shakib
As Bangladesh's campaign came to an end, the biggest positive from this edition was the performance of their star all-rounder Shakib. While he delivered consistent show and broke a number of records for Bangladesh, he didn't receive proper backing from his team-mates, especially batsmen. Had this not been the case, Bangladesh would have qualified for semis.
Hardik Pandya's ability to shine in each match
Hardik Pandya is one of the most powerful weapons in the Indian team's arsenal. Known for his explosive batting, but he is a decent fast bowler as well. Further, he has proved his value in every match till now with either bat or ball. Evidently, today while he failed to fire with the bat, he did contribute with the ball.
