Dubai, Feb 20 (UNI) Mohammed Shami's five-wicket haul and a resilient century from Towhid Hridoy were the highlights of an ICC Champions Trophy encounter between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.
India bowlers ran riot early on, leaving Bangladesh in disarray before Hridoy and Jaker Ali staged a valiant comeback to post a competitive total.
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh endured a torrid start as Shami and debutant Harshit Rana wreaked havoc with the new ball. Shami struck in the first over itself, removing Soumya Sarkar for a duck, while Rana dismissed captain Najmul Hossain Shanto soon after. With wickets tumbling, Bangladesh found themselves reeling at 35/5 inside the first 10 overs—one of the lowest powerplay collapses in Champions Trophy history.
Axar Patel compounded Bangladesh’s woes with a double strike in his first over, removing Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim off successive deliveries. He was inches away from a hat-trick, but Rohit Sharma’s dropped catch of Jaker Ali at first slip gave Bangladesh some respite.
With Bangladesh staring at a sub-100 total, Towhid took charge. The right-hander showcased remarkable composure, steadying the innings alongside Jaker Ali. Their 152-run partnership for the sixth wicket—now the highest in Champions Trophy history—revived Bangladesh and propelled them to a respectable 241 before being bowled out in the final over.
Hridoy’s unbeaten 100* (118 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes) made him only the ninth player to score a century on his Champions Trophy debut and the second Bangladeshi after Tamim Iqbal (128 vs England, 2017) to achieve the feat.
Shami, despite not being at his pre-surgery best, displayed his big-match temperament, picking up his fifer with the dismissal of Taskin Ahmed. His final figures of 5/53 marked the second-best haul by an Indian in Champions Trophy history, only behind Ravindra Jadeja’s 5/36 against the West Indies in 2013.
India bowlers will take confidence from their dominant display, but concerns remain over death bowling, especially with Rana’s inconsistency in the final overs. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah is being felt, and Arshdeep Singh might be considered in upcoming matches to bolster India’s bowling depth.
With a competitive total on board, Bangladesh look to their bowlers to mount a strong challenge against India’s formidable batting lineup as they aim to chase down the target and win their first CT 2025 ODI.
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