Virat Kohli has proven once again that his relationship with run chases is a match made in heaven as India continued its unbroken victory streak in this year’s World Cup. This is the 4th successful chase by the Men in Blue in this World Cup, winning by seven wickets with 51 balls to spare at the MCA Stadium, Pune on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. Under pressure from the Indian bowling attack, they were restricted to a modest total of 256/8 in 50 overs. Chasing like a true blue predator, India finished at 261/3 in just 41.3 overs with Kohli cashing it in with a majestic hundred (103 n.o, 97b, 6×4, 4×6), guiding his team to the annals of victory.
In the first innings, Bangladesh started off strong with an opening stand of 93 runs between openers Tanzid Hasan(51 in 43b) and Litton Das(66 in 82b). Both went on to score half-centuries before getting entangled in the web spun by the India spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja(10-0-38-2) and Kuldeep Yadav(10-0-47-1). After this, the only saving grace was provided by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim(38 in 46b) and Mahmadullah(46 in 36b). The Bangladesh batting lineup was successfully strangled by Bumrah(10-1-41-2), Siraj(10-0-60-2), and Jadeja(10-0-38-2) with them picking a couple of wickets each.
The second innings was a run-making feast for the Indian batters. Skipper Rohit Sharma(48 in 40b) missed out on his half-century by just a couple of runs being caught out on Hasan Mahmud’s delivery. Shubman Gill(53 in 55b) stepped up and showed why he has earned the moniker, Prince by showcasing his class with an elegant half-century before getting caught on Mehidy Hasan’s delivery. Shreyas Iyer(19 in 25b) and Kl Rahul(34 n.o. in 34b) played supporting roles in the chase.
But the real hero of this chase was Virat Kohli who displayed his extraordinary class by scoring 103 runs(not out), smashing six 4s and four 6s in the process. Getting to the century wasn’t easy as the cunning Bangladeshi bowlers tried bowling extras in an effort to deny a century to Kohli. But King Kohli came on top at the end with teammate KL Rahul keeping up with him to rotate the strike in an effort to keep Kohli on strike.
With this, India remains undefeated but still at the number two position on the points table due to New Zealand’s superior net run rate. Now all eyes will be on India’s next clash against the undefeated Black Caps on Sunday.
Here’s the latest look at the points table after Thursday’s match:
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Points |
| New Zealand | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| India | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Afghanistan | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |