(Image source from: Twitter.com/ICC)
Shubman Gill put forth a remarkable effort to achieve his slowest ODI century, reflecting India’s sluggish pace as they pursued a challenging target of 229. This performance surely evoked memories of the team’s 2-0 series loss to Sri Lanka last August on similarly slow pitches. Although India began with a brisk opening partnership of 69 runs, they faced considerable pressure due to the modest target, largely thanks to Mohammed Shami, who claimed his sixth five-wicket haul in ODIs and reached 200 wickets in ODIs faster than anyone else in terms of balls bowled. Both teams would reflect on missed chances during their Champions Trophy opener.
Bangladesh began the match by winning a vital toss on a pitch that showed signs of fatigue, with no dew expected to ease the chase. However, they stumbled out of the gates so severely that they required three dropped catches and an exceptional fighting century from Towhid Hridoy just to remain competitive. India had Bangladesh reeling at 35 for 5, with Axar Patel on the verge of a hat-trick, while Rohit Sharma dropped an easy catch, followed by two more opportunities missed for the record-breaking sixth-wicket partnership. This allowed Bangladesh to post a score that thwarted India’s hopes for enhancing their net run rate, which could be critical should they lose one of their three matches.
India will still view this as a narrow escape after misjudging the conditions, wishing instead to bowl first if they had won the toss. On a slow surface that provided no help for the fast bowlers, they capitalized on some careless hitting from the opposition to secure early breakthroughs. Bangladesh possibly believed that the new ball offered the best opportunity for runs; they did not wait for bad deliveries and kept losing wickets. The initial three dismissals came from ambitious strokes aimed at straightforward good-length bowling with minimal seam movement. When Axar was brought into the attack in the ninth over, Bangladesh found themselves at 35 for 3. Tanzid Hasan, the only batsman who appeared at ease, misjudged a delivery that turned, resulting in an outside edge. Mushfiqur Rahim, controversially batting at No. 6, especially in Mahmudullah’s absence due to injury, was similarly deceived by a rare delivery that spun unexpectedly. Axar’s hat-trick ball was slowed down, leading to Jaker Ali edging it, but Rohit could not hold onto the chance.
Shortly after, Hardik Pandya missed a catch of Hridoy when he was on 23, during Kuldeep Yadav's first over. Scoring runs remained a challenge on the sluggish pitch, with over ten overs passing without a boundary. Additionally, India managed to navigate the middle overs without losing a single wicket for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final. Jaker offered a chance at 24, but KL Rahul failed to complete a stumping off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling.
As the innings progressed, the pair began to find their rhythm, although Hridoy struggled with cramps. Shami returned to the task of bowling with a short boundary on the leg side but skillfully employed slower balls wide outside off, successfully preventing boundaries and securing three additional wickets. A spirited effort from Rishad Hossain, along with Hridoy's resilience despite debilitating cramps, helped Bangladesh attain a score that turned out to be competitive.
Rohit maintained his aggressive approach, and Gill mirrored him with equal intensity as India made quick progress against the trio of Bangladeshi fast bowlers. Just before the field positioning altered, Rohit was dismissed for 41 from 36 balls while attempting to maximize the field restrictions. Instantly, scoring became a challenging endeavor. Even the usually consistent Virat Kohli had difficulty finding gaps before falling to a leg spinner, which was confusingly attributed to Rashid rather than Rishad.
A topsy-turvy game that was high on entertainment and twists #ChampionsTrophy #BANvIND : https://t.co/HGuD75298k pic.twitter.com/PR4c0cwSnA
— ICC (@ICC) February 20, 2025
Shreyas Iyer adjusted to the playing conditions for a brief period, but after hitting a couple of runs along with a boundary off Mustafizur Rahman, he misplayed a slower delivery, popping a catch to mid-off and departing for 15 runs from 17 balls. Axar, promoted to diversify the batting lineup and manage the net run-rate, misjudged a slog-sweep, getting under a topspinner from Rishad.
In the final phase, the last three wickets tumbled for 75 runs over the course of 20.2 overs. You might have expected KL Rahul’s presence to stabilize the situation, yet he attempted an unusual hoick early on and was dropped by Jaker, whom he had previously given a second chance that day. This moment marked the end of Bangladesh’s opportunities, as India successfully navigated past the shadows of previous failed chases in Sri Lanka.
Leading the chase
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 20, 2025
Hundred
Win
Vice Captain Shubman Gill guides #TeamIndia to victory
Updates https://t.co/ggnxmdG0VK#BANvIND | #ChampionsTrophy | @ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/YbWSCERX6E
The player who deserved the most credit was Gill, who steadied the innings and ensured his presence towards the conclusion. At the time of Rohit's dismissal, he was at 26 runs from 23 balls, but as the match progressed, he adjusted his strategy, taking calculated risks. His next boundary arrived only when the pace bowler Tanzim Hasan returned in the 32nd over, by which point he had recorded his slowest half-century.
Gill was content to accumulate singles against the spinners and even Mustafizur, who effectively utilized his slower deliveries in these conditions. After Rohit’s exit, he managed just 30 runs off 52 balls before shifting gears and finishing in style. With 12 runs needed to complete his century, he struck a six and a four off Tanzim, reaching the milestone from 125 balls and taking a customary bow. Rahul concluded the match with a six off Tanzim, securing victory with 21 balls remaining.
