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May 12, 2007 (Link to Scorecard)

Stylish left hander Gautam Gambhir brought up a well paced hundred to power India to a series victory over Bangladesh. India won the 2nd ODI at Mirpur by 46 runs following a much better show from the bowlers. The victory was set up by Gambhir's essay which enabled the visitors to bat the opposition out of the game. Bangladesh gave it away midway having lost half of their side for nothing.

On a much better looking batting track, Rahul Dravid decided to bat first having won the toss. Both the sides made a change each. Bangladesh got Mashrafe Mortaza back for Shahadat Hossain, while India replaced the injured Sreesanth (sore calf) with debutant leg spinner Piyush Chawla. The match got off 30 minutes late because of a shower before the toss. An over each was curtailed in both the innings. India got off to a steady start from Sehwag and Gambhir, but the former once again threw away his start trying to be over ambitious. Sehwag made just the 21 runs. Dhoni once again got promoted up the order and once he survived a tough spell from Mortaza, he started to find his feet to put up a good partnership with Gambhir. The Delhi Southpaw showed plenty of discipline today as he curbed his natural flashy game to set his eye on a bigger score. For Bangladesh, Mohammad Rafique provided the much needed breakthrough getting Dhoni to cut one to the keeper. Dhoni got 36 from 54 with 4 fours in an 87-run stand for the second wicket.

After Dhoni's dismissal, Habibul Bashar found enough courage to employ the third powerplay. Yuvraj Singh took advantage of that even though it was early days in his innings. A couple of sweet sixes straight down the ground got Yuve going, but then he too became a victim of Rafique, who had deceived him in the air. Yuvraj was caught and bowled after scoring 24 from 22 with a couple of fours and sixes. A little while later a struggling Gautam Gambhir with cramps was bowled by Rasel, but not before he had got his second hundred. Gambhir had batted with Sehwag as a runner in the latter part of his innings, he ended up with 101 from 113 balls with the help of 11 fours. There weren't many fireworks towards the end as strokeplay became a bit too difficult with the ball gripping the surface. Skipper Rahul Dravid stayed unbeaten on 42 having played 47 balls and getting just the one boundary. That wasn't a good innings with the scoring rate expected to be much more during the death overs.

Bangladesh did well in the last stages by picking up wickets regularly. However, India still got a lot many runs for their liking, getting 284 for 8. Rafique played his part in the restricting act by taking three top wickets. The huge target was the real test for the aggressive Tamim Iqbal, but the left hander ran himself out in the most silly fashion. He drove a full toss straight to mid off and took off for a non existent single and was rightly sent back by Javed Omar. He was run out by a long distance and what was followed was heated exchange with his senior partner, putting the blame on Javed Omar in public. India had to wait for their next wicket which came during a time when Aftab Ahmed was taking the bowling to the cleaners. It was Javed Omar trying to go over the top to be caught at covers having made just 11. Zaheer came up with his second wicket forcing Saqibul to edge one behind to leave BD at 60 for 3 in the 13th over.

Teenager Piyush Chawla was greeted with a first ball boundary by Ashraful but the leggie had his last laugh when he foxed the same batsman with a mind blowing googly. It was a flatter wrong one that turned back sharply into the right hander who had gone for a cut shot. The confirmation that the match was out of Bangladesh's reach came when Aftab Ahmed charged down the track to be beaten in the flight by a flatter straighter one from Powar which disturbed his off stump. Bangladesh were now 92 for 5 with Aftab raising hopes with a 41-ball 40 that had five fours and a six. The Indian fielders were then engaged in watching a long partnership between Captain Habibul Bashar and Mushfiqur Rahim, the wicket keeper. While Mushfiqur Rahim played for the team by getting a few boundaries, Bashar played for himself, playing mainly defensive shots. Mushfiqur eventually fell after making 35 from 43 and Bashar fell making a painful 43 from 88 at a time when his side required more than 7.00 runs per over. What was comical about Bashar's dismissal was that he stepped down the track to two consecutive deliveries bowled by Piyush Chawla, both of those he missed. The first of those deliveries was a mis-stumping from Dhoni, but the second time the mistake was repeated by the batsman but not the keeper.

The homeside incredibly finished at 238 for 9 in 49 overs thanks largely to Mortaza's heroics which included four sixes in a row off Dinesh Mongia's bowling. Ironically, Mortaza was also the top scorer for BD with 42 coming in just 22 balls with a four and five sixes. Among the bowlers, it was Piyush Chawla stealing the limelight with an impressive 3 for 37 in 10 overs. India have found a new match winner looks like or atleast a wicket taker! The Man of the Match was the man who set up the victory and that was Gautam Gambhir. The third and final ODI is at Chittagong on the 15th.

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