India exacted revenge of their shock loss to Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup, with an 87-run mauling of the same opponents in the 2011 opener at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, near Dhaka, on Saturday.
A 175-run knock by swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag off 140 balls, inclusive of 14 hits to the fence and five over it, coupled with an unbeaten 100 by middle-order
batsman Virat Kohli, helped India reach 370/4 in 50 overs. Bangladesh, in reply, fought gamely but could only manage 283/9 in their allotted overs. Had it not been for opener Tamim Iqbal’s 70 that gave the hosts a fantastic start, India would have mopped up the Bangladesh batting a lot more easily.
It was the perfect start for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team who at 7/2 odds are the bookies’ favourites to win the World Cup come April 2. The world’s second-ranked side take on a far tougher opposition — England — in their next Group B match in Bengaluru on February 27. Besides England, India are grouped with South Africa and the West Indies and the face-offs against these may be far more difficult.
England, despite losing 1-6 to Australia recently, have players who can change the game in a few overs. And South Africa had beaten India 3-2 in an ODI series on their turf a month back. However, India can boast of a full-strength ODI squad including Sachin Tendul-kar, who in all probability is playing his last World Cup.