Mahendra Singh Dhoni could not have asked for more from his team as an intense India turned in another professional display, swinging from a seemingly dispassionate approach to batting to taking a fiercely passionate attitude to the field to enter the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal with a 109-run victory over Bangladesh on Thursday.
Rohit Sharma's maiden World Cup century (137, 126 balls, 14 fours, three sixes) brought him huge relief and his team-mates delight as India quelled Bangladesh's aspirations of restricting India to a sub-300 total. His sensible, mature countenance was as crucial as Suresh Raina's brisk counter-attack that fetched him 65 (57 balls, seven fours, one six).
Led by Umesh Yadav's fiery spell with the new ball on a none-too-helpful track, Indian bowlers put paid to any aspirations Bangladesh may have had of becoming the first team to chase 300-plus for a win at MCG. Stunning catches by Shikhar Dhawan and Dhoni himself and a spectacular run out effected by the Ravindra Jadeja-Yadav combine was the icing on the cake.
Bangladesh needed Tamim Iqbal to blaze from the start if they were to chase India's 302 for six. He did try gamely, knocking a series of boundaries off Mohammed Shami when the new ball bowler pitched up but Yadav got a delivery to jag away from the left-hander for Dhoni to lunge forward and get his gloves under the catch.
Jadeja then turned in a piece of magic at short point off the next delivery, forcing the new batsman to stand rooted in his tracks and selling non-striker Imrul Kayes a dummy. Jadeja sprinted to his right, flung himself at the ball, rolled over and fired an accurate throw at the non-striker's end where Yadav had done well to run back to the wicket and complete the run out.
On a day when Rohit Sharma notched up his seventh ODI century, Yadav's first spell read 5-1-9-1. There can be no doubt that the paceman scripted fine spells of swing and pace and set Bangladesh back considerably. He finished with four for 31. Shami and Jadeja claimed two wickets apiece but Yadav's hostile bowling was a thing of beauty on Thursday.
Bangladesh's form batsman Mahmudullah, with two hundreds under his belt, showed intent but was brilliantly caught at long leg by Dhawan when he hooked Shami. Dhawan's awareness of the boundary line and his presence of mind to lob the ball in play and complete the catch was a tribute to the efforts of the team and the coaching staff.
Dhoni flung himself to his left to take a single-handed catch to dismiss Soumya Sarkar off a very good Shami bouncer. The rare sight of the Indian captain taking a diving catch caused the whole team to rush to him and celebrate what he was to call a 'fluke'.
Bangladesh would have fancied being in the game for a brief while in the wake of Virat Kohl's fall to an extravagant square drive that only ended up in wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim's gloves. Coming barely eight deliveries after Shikhar Dhawan was stumped off Shakib Al Hasan, Kohli's fall could have fired Mashrafe Mortaza's team up.
The responsible manner in which Rohit anchored the innings augured well for India. It did not matter to him that hordes of fans, painted-faces, blowing horns, waving flags, may not have appreciated the pace of scoring when Ajinkya Rahane and he batted with an eye on keeping wickets intact.
Yet, Bangladesh were left hoping for a more incisive attack on a track that was on the slower side and was two-paced. Taskin Ahmed finished with the wickets of Rahane (caught at extra cover attempting an inside out stroke), Rohit (yorked) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (caught at point in the 49th over) but Bangladesh lacked the creativity to keep India on the backfoot.
If there was anything more that Dhoni could have asked for, it would not have to do with his team's skills; he would not be too concerned about Virat Kohli and his own batting failures on Thursday. He would have loved the Melbourne Cricket Ground not to have vast empty spaces during the quarterfinal.
If Dhoni's team secures an eighth successive win in Sydney next Thursday and there is no reason not to expect that on a wearing, end-of-the-season track India may see a full house at MCG on March 29. That India resisted the temptation to embrace an emotional, even arrogant, approach on Thursday speaks of their intent.
