Mushfiqur Rahim said India might regret resting their big players for this three-match ODI series, but the Bangladesh skipper clearly did not account for a horde of India players desperate to prove themselves and force their names into the hat for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The bowlers stepped up in the first innings with a decent enough performance, keeping Bangladesh to 272 for nine in their 50 overs, before Robin Uthappa and Ajinkya Rahane came to the fore with the bat to ease India home in this rain-curtailed match – India eventually finishing on 153 for three after the match had been cut short to 26 overs, with India needing 150.
Much was expected from Robin Uthappa, so special in the IPL this season, at the top and the right-hander did not disappoint, carrying on from where he left off for the Kolkata Knight Riders, with a serene and assured 50 from 44 balls (3x4, 3x6). Ajinkya Rahane looked quite good at the other end as well, as India's opening duo put on 99 for the first wicket in just 16.1 overs to set the tone for the chase.
Uthappa was unlucky to be given out lbw off his KKR teammate Shakib Al Hasan right after reaching his half-century, with replays clearly showing a big inside-edge, and right after that dismissal the rain Gods decided to call a halt to proceedings by opening up the heavens with India on 100 for one 16.4 overs.
The disruption was almost three hours with the revised target reading 150 in 26 overs, which meant India needed another 50 from 56 balls.
With nine wickets in hand, it was never going to be too much of a problem, despite a fighting effort from the Bangladesh bowlers. Cheteshwar Pujara was sent packing for a duck, and Rahane also fell after a nice 70-ball 64 (5x4, 2x6), but not after virtually taking his team over the line, with India needing 15 from the final 23 balls at Rahane's dismissal.
Skipper Suresh Raina (15, 11b, 3x4) and Ambati Rayudu (16, 19b, 2x4) chased down the remaining runs without too much fuss to help India take a 1-0 lead.
Earlier, the Bangladesh innings was built on a sparkling half-century from Mushfiqur Rahim, responsible fifty from Shakib and a quickfire 41 from Mahmudullah.
The start was painfully slow for Bangladesh, as the India opening bowlers Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav hit the target consistently, rarely giving away a loose ball. Tamim Iqbal, desperate to find his mojo, was the first to go for Bangladesh, edging one off Yadav to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, after a 11-ball duck, even if replays showed the ball might have missed the bat, with the sound coming from the bat making contact with the left-hander's pad.
However, Tamim never really looked quite comfortable in the middle, and neither did his opening partner Anamul Haque or No.3 Mominul Haque. Anamul did play a couple of crisp boundaries but was lucky not to be dismissed in the ninth over, after being dropped by Raina off Yadav.
That drop did matter a bit, as Anamul managed a fighting 44 (60b, 7x4) even if Mominul (6, 17b) was sent packing soon by Yadav (9-0-48-3).
Mushfiqur came in with Bangladesh on 35 for two in 10.2 overs and counter-attacked quite effectively. The Bangladesh captain hit three fours and as many sixes during his 63-ball 59-run stay, while putting on 52 in 11.5 overs with Anamul, who became Parvez Rasool's first wicket in ODI cricket, and 47 in eight overs with Shakib. Akshar Patel would also pick up his first international wicket on debut – dismissing Mashrafe Mortaza in the penultimate over of the innings -- with the young all-rounder finishing with figures of 10-0-59-1.
Mushfiqur, though, would throw his wicket away just when he looked menacing and primed for a century, mistiming an attempted cross-batted shot off Rasool (10-60-0-2).
Shakib (52, 58b, 4x4, 1x6), fresh from his heroics in helping KKR to the IPL title, and Mahmudullah (41, 44b, 6x4) put on a crucial 65-run partnership in 66 balls for the fifth wicket, before Nasir Hossain (22, 20b, 4x4), Mortaza (18, 10b, 2x4, 1x6) and Abdur Razzak (16 n.o. 12b, 2x4) tonked a few towards the end to get Bangladesh over 270.
But with India's strong batting lineup, there was never really too much doubt about the end result.
