10 Things That Helped India Beat Bangladesh In Their WC Quarter-Final

India downed neighbours Bangladesh in their World Cup quarter-final encounter at the MCG to advance to the semis. Here are 10 things that turned the game in India’s favour:

1. Rohit Sharma’s masterclass

Electing to bat, India were off to a nervy start with the score at 115/3 with 30 overs almost up. But Rohit Sharma, who had been quiet so far in the tournament, seized the day to score his first World Cup ton (137 off 126).

2. Suresh Raina’s invaluable knock

Raina’s knock pales in comparison to Rohit’s century but the duo shared a crucial 123-run partnership. Raina chipped in with a crucial 65 off 57.

3. Umpiring decisions

Rohit was on 90 when he was caught at deep midwicket. But umpire Aleem Dar wrongly ruled it as a no-ball. Replays showed the ball was only waist-high.

4. Singles and twos

The MCG is one of the biggest stadiums in the world and boundaries are hard to come by. But the Indian batsmen rotated the strike and kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos.

5. Runs in the death overs

In previous matches, India had failed to build on good starts by squandering the final overs. But this time, India upped the scoring rate in the death overs. Ravindra Jadeja scored a quick-fire 23 off 10.

6. Crossing the 300-run mark

Never in the history of the MCG has a 300-plus score been chased. Finishing the innings with 302/6 was a psychological blow to Bangladesh.

7. Disciplined bowling

Right from the onset, Indian bowlers maintained their line and length and picked up regular wickets. Umesh Yadav picked up 4 scalps while Mohammed Shami – with 2 wickets – is now the leading wicket-taker at the World Cup (17 wickets).

8. Getting the big fish early

Mahmudullah Riyad (21), Shakib Al Hasan (10) and Mushfiqur Rahim (27) were the biggest threats with the bat. But getting them out cheaply made the job easier for India.

9. Efficient fielding

Unlike India, Bangladesh were not allowed to rotate the strike or take singles and twos. The Indian fielding was at its best. There were also some splendid catches from Dhawan and MS Dhoni.