This year's Cricket World Cup may already be a week old but on this day in 2011, the previous edition was getting underway as the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur hosted the Group B fixture between Bangladesh and India.
For Bangladesh, who were hosting their first ever World Cup match, much of the build-up had been focused on their stunning upset of India four years ago in the West Indies - a result that saw the men in blue suffer early elimination from the tournament - but since that result, India had dominated their co-hosts and more of the same was expected in Dhaka.
The toss was won by Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who opted to put the opposition into bat with the intention of taking advantage of the India bowling attack having to contend with dew on the ball later in the contest, but three overs into India's allotted fifty, it was already clear that Shakib had made a blunder.
The "dream-team" combination of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar recorded seven boundaries with their first 18 deliveries, and although the run-rate slowed to six per over at the 10-over stage, India were in full control. However, after a profitable 11th over, Tendulkar, who at this stage had made 28, ran himself out after going for a single that was never going to reward him with an extra run.
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Gautam Gambhir arrived at the crease with the intention of picking up what Tendulkar had started, but after picking up seven from two balls upon his introduction, he had to take a back seat as Sehwag continued his relentless hitting against a wayward Bangladesh attack. However, such was his dominance after reaching his half-century after 15 overs, Bangladesh went on the defensive and allowed India to run easy singles just to prevent further destruction over the boundary rope.
Gambhir fell for a run-a-ball 39 to leave the score on 152-2 in the 23rd over to allow Virat Kohli to join Sehwag in the middle. Unlike Gambhir though, he wouldn't settle for playing second fiddle as he started to methodically take apart the Bangladesh attack before Sehwag was finally given the opportunity to bring up what was an inevitable ton with a single off his 94th ball.
The platform had been set for the two batsmen to run riot during the second half of the innings, and that's what they did to put their team in what was effectively an unassailable position. A partnership of 203 runs in just over 24 overs was compiled before Sehwag, who had recorded 14 fours and five sixes for 175 from 140 balls, played onto his own stumps off the bowling of Shakib, but at this point, the damage had already been done. After Kohli reached his century with balls to spare, India finished their innings on 370-4.
The optimism of the Bangladesh support had been dampened but they still made plenty of noise as Tamin Iqbal and Imrul Kayes made their way out into the middle. The openers not only had an unthinkable win on their minds, but they needed to ensure that Bangladesh's net run-rate didn't take a battering for the remainder of the group stage.
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They needed almost seven-and-a-half runs per over and during the early stages, they kept up with that rate as they made 55 runs off the first six overs, but the dismissal of Kayes set them back in their tracks. Junaid Siddique would enter the fray and add 37 but his departure left Bangladesh on just 129 after 23 overs, and at this point, they were left looking to salvage pride rather than mounting any realistic bid for victory.
Shakib would contribute 55 off 50 balls but the rest of the innings saw wickets tumble at regular intervals, with Munaf Patel ending with figures of 4-48. Bangladesh deserved credit for using their full fifty overs but after concluding their innings on 283-9, India were able to run out victors by 87 runs to begin their passage to World Cup glory in front of their home fans.
INDIA XI: Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Pathan, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Sreesanth, Patel
BANGLADESH XI: Tamim, Kayes, Siddique, Rahim, Shakib, Rakibul, Naeem, Mahmudullah, Razzak, Shafiul, Rubel
Darren Plant
