Brilliant team effort puts India in final

There was no doubt that winning the toss was a major contributory factor in the side’s gameplan. But it was a delightful team effort which boosted India’s stocks. First, it was the run-denying length of the Indian attack which induced fatal errors from the Bangladesh batsmen. Then, it was the simplification of the run-rate by the combination of Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharuddin which added to the lop-sidedness of the contest.

India’s asking rate to win the match was 3.04. But their prime objective was in surpassing Pakistan’s nett run-rate (+0.94) to sneak into the final. In the end, they stormed into the title round as they got the 131 needed in 20 overs at an average of 6.55 an over in just 15 overs. They had, in fact, scored 113 by the 12th over an average of 9.41 runs an over. Seven of those 12 overs yielded 10 runs or more and another two produced nine each, which shows the kind of control exercised by the Indian batsmen.

Rains continued to pile on the pressure on the Indians. The skies opened up in the morning to spoil the Indian breakfast. The match began as a 48-over-a-side affair. But more rains brought an abrupt end to the Bangladesh innings as the 52-minute lull in the proceedings was adjusted with the lunch break before allowing the Indians 43 overs.

The ball was not coming on to the bat as the batsmen would have desired, moreso because the Indians could ill afford the luxury of caution and selective strokeplay.

However, India finally had some taste of luck when Tendulkar was reprived on the thirdman fence (seven, in a total of 11) by Sheikh Salahuddin off Hasibul Hussain and Ganguly escaped a stumping chance of Salahuddin (25, in a total of 56).

Tendulkar and Ganguly capitalised on the chances to sustain a run-rate that was well above the requisite target to upstage Pakistan from the second slot in the points tally. The openers hoisted the 50 of the innings in just 6.4 overs. But the Indian skipper was soon out, missing the line while attempting a sweep to be bowled.

But Ganguly was enjoying a great day. He had bowled six tidy overs, took a catch and effected a run-out with a direct hit. He would have also bagged a wicket, but for Umpire Nazir Junior negating a clear catch given by Aminul Islam to wicket-keeper Saba Karim. The Bengal left hander was in full flow, taking the aerial route at will in his 52-ball innings of 73 (2×6, 8×4) which won him the Man of the Match from adjudicator Roy Dias.

Mohammed Azharuddin, promoted in the order, wisely rotated the strike and gave as much batting as possible to Ganguly. The Ganguly-Azhar stand was worth 78 which came in just 8.1 overs.

Earlier, except for a 45-run stand for the third wicket between Athar Ali Khan (33) and Aminul Islam (30), there was hardly any qualitative show by the Bangladesh batsmen.

Athar yet again came good, hooking Abey Kuruvilla, and twice driving him on either side of the wicket and then straight driving Ganguly — all for boundaries. But once he left, playing across and missing to be leg before to Tendulkar, the rest of the batting looked like a funeral procession.

While it was injudicious and indiscreet strokeplay of Bangladesh batsmen which cost them a few wickets, it must be said that the Indian bowlers injected frustration in their ranks by the tight control they excercised in their bowling.

Just about every bowler did his job well. Venkatesh Prasad bowled a first spell of six overs for five runs and got the wicket of Minhajul Abedin, Abey Kuruvilla got the first breakthrough and could have added to his tally with a little bit of luck, Anil Kumble conceded seven runs in his first five overs and Robin Singh came up with his best performance in One-Day Internationals with figures of 9-2-13-3. Even Tendulkar and Ganguly did a reasonably good job as change bowlers. It’s the kind of confidence that the bowling needed before the big battle against Sri Lanka.

SCOREBOARD

BANGLADESH: Athar Ali Khan lbw Tendulkar 33 (96m, 69b, 4×4); Naimur Rehman lbw Kuruvilla 0 (4m, 1b); Minhazul Abedin c Karim b Prasad 3 (20m, 22b); Aminul Islam c Kumble b Robin 30 (86m, 57b, 2×4); Akram Khan c Jadeja b Kumble 11 (38m, 23b, 1×4); Khaled Mashud c Ganguly b Robin 12 (30m, 30b, 1×4); Enamul Haq run out (Ganguly) 4 (16m, 8b); Mafizur Rehman not out 15 (32m, 30b, 1×4); Hosibul Hussain lbw Robin 0 (1m, 2b); Shaikh Salahuddin not out 3 (21m, 18b); Extras: (lb15, w2, nb2) 19; Total: (for eight wickets in 43 overs) 130

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Rehman, 1.3 overs), 2-12 (Abedin, 6.3), 3-57 (Athar, 21.4), 4-79 (Islam, 26.2), 5-92 (Akram, 31.3), 6-100 (Mashud, 34.2), 7-104 (Haq, 36.2), 8-104 (Hussain, 36.4)

Bowling: Prasad 7-1-15-1, Kumble 10-3-17-1, Tendulkar 5-0-18-1, Kuruvilla 6-0-28-1, Ganguly 6-1-24-0, R Singh 9-2-13-3

INDIA: Saurav Ganguly not out 73 (72m, 52b, 2×6, 8×4); Sachin Tendulkar b Enamul Haq 28 (33m, 21b, 5×4); Mohammed Azharuddin not out 23 (38m, 20b, 3×4); Extras: (b4, lb1, nb1, w2) 8; Total: (for one wicket in 15 overs) 132Fall of wickets: 1-54 (Tendulkar, 6.5 overs)

Bowling: Hasibul Hussain 3-0-25-0, Zakir Hussain 2-0-17-0, Sheikh Salahuddin 3-0-22-0, Enamul Haq 3-0-34-1, Mufizur Rehman 2-0-16-0, Minhazul Abedin 2-0-13-0