Shubman Gill's brilliant century guides India to victory over Bangladesh in a hard-fought chase

India were made to work hard to pick up vital information about the conditions at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which is sure to hold them in good stead when sterner tests come their way.

At the toss, won by Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto, Rohit Sharma said he would’ve bowled first anyway, which is something he may want to revisit. While Mohammed Shami ensured that India were on top instantly, reducing Bangladesh to 35 for 5, Shanto’s team rallied valiantly through Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali to post 228. This should’ve been a stroll for India’s batting line-up, but it proved to be anything but.

Typically, teams chasing do well in Dubai, with 9 of 13 matches at the venue being won by chasing teams. But, a majority of those games were played in the second half of the year when dew plays a significant part. That is not the case in this tournament. For starters, the pitches are more tired with the ILT20 tournament having been recently played. To that end, the pitch slowed down appreciably, and there was enough purchase for the spinners.

But this hardly seemed the case when Shami set to work, picking up a wicket in his first over. All the signs of Shami being on top of his game were immediately apparent. Shami ran in with rhythm and purpose, and when he let the ball go, the seam was bolt upright. In this mood, Shami is a dangerous proposition, and India needed him to hit the ground running given the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

Soumya Sarkar looked to play an expansive drive to a ball that was not quite full enough for the shot, and the slight inward movement off the pitch resulted in an inside edge to the keeper. Harshit Rana backed Shami up perfectly, having Shanto smartly caught by Virat Kohli off a sucker ball outswinger. Mehidy Hasan slashed Shami to slip, and Axar Patel had two in two balls with both Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim feathering edges to KL Rahul. Axar should have had a hat-trick when Jaker edged straight to slip, only to see the ever-reliable Rohit grass a chance he would take nine times out of 10.

The let-off proved to be costly as Jaker and Hridoy rebuilt through a combination of patience and judicious self-restraint. The two put on 154, the highest sixth-wicket stand against India in ODIs. Eventually, it was Shami who broke the stand when Jaker (68) tried to heave over the onside but found Kohli running in from long-on. Hridoy, struggling with cramp, somehow battled it out with the tail, pushing on to a hundred that was remarkable for the temperament he showed initially and the grit towards the end.

India began their chase brightly enough, with Rohit and Shubman Gill in no real trouble against Bangladesh’s quicks. Rohit was the aggressor even as Gill bedded down and looked to bat long. Against the run of play, Rohit (41) was caught at cover point trying to give the bowler the charge. Kohli (22) and Shreyas Iyer (15) both got in and out, but even at this stage, things were under control, given that the required run rate didn’t pose a serious problem. Axar, sent in at No. 5, tried to take on the slower bowlers but didn’t last long and left Gill with plenty to do.

By now, Gill had a good measure of the pitch. A beautiful pull that went deep, a shimmy down the track to drill the ball through the offside, and a flick into the stands were especially pleasing shots in an innings full of bright spots. In the end, Gill (101 not out) did enough to take India across the line with 6 wickets to spare.

But, India will know that a slightly stiffer target against a better bowling attack and things might have panned out quite differently.