World Cup 2015, India v/s Bangladesh: Full show, semi push

If not for some of his wiser teammates, Rubel Hossain would have probably thudded into Virat Kohli after having him caught at the wicket. Pumped up and in the middle of an amazing spell of fast bowling that read 6-0-14-1, the youngster went a long way in making India's batting nobles look like paupers. Only for a while, though. And like many things, MS Dhoni's boys taught Bangladesh that ODI cricket was a game of many halves. No wonder, then, that they ended their neighbour's World Cup campaign without much ado.

When Bangladesh restricted India to a barely fathomable 99/2 at the end of the 25th over, the larger-than-life green-and-red flags in the stands fluttered in the breeze. The ever-vocal Indian supporters, clearly outnumbering their fish-loving rivals, went quiet. Even Mother Nature was surely surprised as she ordered the sun to way for dark, heavy clouds.

Or so we thought till Rohit Sharma decided to stamp his authority on the second quarterfinal and the humongous bear pit that's the MCG. What followed was a masterful hundred replete with a perfect blend of caution, aggression and class. By the time Bangladesh had figured out a way to dismiss him, he had batted for three hours and 42 minutes for a tally of 137.

If Sharma's knock was the foundation of India's slow-off-the-blocks-but-eventually-erect high-rise, then Suresh Raina's feisty 65, off only 57 balls, was its façade. Joining hands at the fall of Ajinkya Rahane for an uneasy 19 in the 28th over, the duo added 122 runs in just 95 deliveries to give India the lift they so desperately needed. By doing so, they left Bangladesh with thoughts starting with 'what if'.

That India posted 302/6 and bowled out their opponents for 193 to book a place in the semifinal turned out to be academic. The match was effectively over when India rattled off 203 in the second set of 25 overs, 147 off the final 15, and 97 off the last 10.

Sharma, who got off the mark with a nonchalant square drive off Mashrafe Mortaza, would soon realise that the straw-coloured pitch wasn't a belter as Shane Warne had proclaimed. Run-scoring was tough and the in-form Shikhar Dhawan's 30, off 50 balls, proved that. It was hardly surprising when he was stumped off the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan in the 17th over. India were 75/1.

That became 79/2 when Hossain forced Kohli to drive at a full-length delivery bowled wide outside the off stump. Bangladesh seized the opportunity. Unlike in the first 10 overs, which saw India ease to 51/0, Bangladesh cut out the errors and stuck to their plan of bowling straight. The results were immediate: no boundaries between the 16th and 25th overs, lots of dot balls, tentative batting and a nervy dressing room. That's also the time when everyone started wondering what drinks Bangladesh had gulped down at the break.

Sharma brought up his fifty in the 27th over, but it was only when he joined forces with Raina that the Mumbaikar looked at ease. Raina didn't mind that responsibility. And the fact that Bangladesh forgot to test him with the short stuff only made things easy for the left-hander. Raina meandered his way to 10, off 17 balls, when the umpire turned down a leg-before appeal in the 34th over bowled by Mortaza. The skipper asked for a review, but was denied by the ball tracker. It was one of those close calls.

In the powerplay that followed, Raina plundered 35 runs off 19 balls to move to 48 off 44. There was a seven-minute rain delay as well. That's when everyone wondered what India had consumed at the second drinks break.

As India got back into the habit of run-scoring, Raina got to his fifty. Around the same time, Sharma powered his way into the 90s. The same Hossain was bowling rubbish now. A little earlier, in the 40th over, Sharma survived a close call when Hossain was no-balled for bowling an inviting full-toss at the batsman's waist. On any other day, Sharma would have deposited that ball in the Rod Laver Arena. This time, he hit it straight to the man at deep midwicket. He was on 91 then. Replays showed the ball was below waist height.

Sharma made the most of that chance and went beyond the 100-run-mark. Thereafter, he produced some breathtaking shots, including some audacious, gap-finding drives on the off side. Add a couple of sixes to that. Raina fell to Mortaza in the 44th over, but his dismissal had little bearing on the ultimate analysis. Three overs later, Sharma was bowled by Taskin Ahmed. That's when Ravindra Jadeja announced himself with an enterprising 23, off just 10 balls, and inclusive of four boundaries.

Bangladesh's response was positive, but there was no way they were going to stop India from registering their 11th straight World Cup win, seventh in this edition. A couple of 30s here and four 20s was all they could manage. India's bowlers, led by the fast and furious Umesh Yadav under lights, got to 'Mission 70' in just 45 overs. Yadav took 4/31.

Bangladesh's highest partnership was worth 40 runs and it ended when the in-form Mahmudullah helped discover the juggler in Dhawan. It was some balancing act. A few overs later, Dhoni trumped that effort with a David de Gea-like leap to his left to dismiss Soumya Sarkar. To quote a commentator's cliché, it was all happening out there. And Bangladesh didn't have a clue. No wonder, then, that they lost by 109 runs