Hridoy's defiant century lifts Bangladesh after top-order collapse
His hundred, the first of his international career, came in the penultimate over when he pushed Shami through point and hobbled for a single, visibly struggling with a limp.
Bangladesh recovered from a disastrous start to post 228 against India in their Champions Trophy opener on Thursday in Dubai, with Towhid Hridoy scoring a gritty century despite struggling with injury.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh made some surprising selection choices, leaving out veteran Mahmudullah and express pacer Nahid Rana.
Jaker Ali was included in the middle order, while the team fielded three pacers—Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib—on a surface expected to assist the quicks.
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The innings started poorly as India's bowlers made early inroads. Mohammed Shami removed Soumya Sarkar in the opening over, with the left-hander edging behind without scoring.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto followed in the next over, driving Harshit Rana straight to Virat Kohli at short cover.
Tanzid Hasan showed some promise, striking elegant boundaries off Shami, but the introduction of spin halted Bangladesh's momentum.
Axar Patel struck twice in the ninth over, first dismissing Tanzid for 25 as he edged behind attempting a cut shot. Mushfiqur Rahim fell for a duck on the very next ball, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 35 for 5.
Jaker Ali and Towhid Hridoy then staged a fightback, cautiously rebuilding the innings. They rotated the strike well, punishing loose deliveries and frustrating India's bowlers.
Jaker was handed a lifeline when Hardik Pandya dropped him at long-off, and he made the most of it, sharing a record-breaking stand with Hridoy.
The pair added 154 runs for the sixth wicket, the highest ever in Bangladesh's ODI history and also the best sixth-wicket partnership in Champions Trophy history, surpassing South Africa's Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp's 131-run stand against Pakistan in 2006.
Jaker's resilient knock of 68 off 114 balls ended in the 42nd over when he attempted to accelerate, only to find Kohli at deep mid-wicket off Shami's bowling. His departure left Bangladesh at 189 for 6, but the foundation had been set for a late push.
Hridoy, having completed his fifty, shifted gears, launching two sixes in consecutive overs off Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. His hundred, the first of his international career, came in the penultimate over when he pushed Shami through point and hobbled for a single, visibly struggling with a limp.
Rishad Hossain provided brief support with an 18-run cameo before perishing to Harshit Rana, while Shami completed his five-wicket haul by dismissing Taskin Ahmed.
Despite the early collapse, Bangladesh managed to post 228, setting India a challenging target on a pitch offering assistance to both pacers and spinners.
