08 June,2009 08:24 AM IST | | khalid a-h ansari
Considering England's humiliation by the unfancied, but gutsy, Netherlands and Australia's comprehensive seven-wicket defeat at the hands of a rampaging West Indies, defending champions India must consider themselves fortunate to have lowly Bangladesh and qualifiers Ireland in their group. Rohit Sharma is relishing playing as an opener in the ICC World Twenty20. PIC/AfP
India's passage to the Super Eights stage, expected to be relatively facile, will also give explosive opening batsman Virender Sehwag who missed India's warm-ups and Saturday's game due to a shoulder injury, time to get shipshape for the stern battles ahead.
Champion stuff
Having outclassed Bangladesh in Nottingham on Saturday with a display that was becoming of their lofty status as world champions, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's well-oiled outfit will take on qualifiers Ireland at the same venue on Wednesday.
It will be remembered that Bangladesh knocked India out of the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies but lost to greenhorns Ireland, who were making their debut in the tournament.
The two surprise packages of the 2007 World Cup meet today in an encounter that will determine which team accompanies India, now almost certain to move up, in the next stage of the tournament, that has attracted sizeable crowds even in the initial stages.
However, India showed no signs of missing Sehwag, with stand-in opener Rohit Sharma extending his fearsome form shown in the warm-up games.
Batting first, as is their wont after winning the toss, India posted a score of 180 for five, which was beyond the grasp of Bangladesh who, although outclassed, were certainly not disgraced.
Sharma's heroics
Gautam Gambhir's domineering 50 heralded a welcome return to form, but it was Rohit Sharma, who led the way with a rambunctious 36. Sharma's clean-hitting and unflappable demeanour will, surely, present the selectors with a dilemma when Sehwag is fit enough to return.
Yuvraj Singh's lusty 41 from 18 deliveries buoyed the innings after Gambhir's departure with the score 140 for three and, seemingly, in some strife.
Yuvraj's mauling of off spinner Naeem Islam was reminiscent of his savage treatment of the hapless Stuart Broad, whom he plundered for six sixes in one over in South Africa.
The personable England pace bowler had a wretched outing against Holland on Friday. His last-over dropped catch, three missed run-out chances and conceding of two overthrows, instead of a single, would have tied the match and resulted in a bowl-out which could have possibly won the match for the home side.
While man of the match Pragyan Ojha (four for 21) mesmerised the venturesome Bangladesh batsmen with his flighted deliveries, opener Junaid Siddique (41) treated India's pace bowlers Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma with disdain. However, the lanky Sharma claimed two for 34 by way of recompense.
Although India's spin bowers Ojha, Harbhajan and Sharma succeeded in stemming the flow of runs, the pace bowlers will need to bowl a tidier length if they hope to keep more accomplished batsmen in check.
