India’s 95-run victory over Bangladesh in Tuesday’s warm-up fixture at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff highlighted the threat of wrist spin at this year’s World Cup.
Centuries from middle-order batsman Lokesh Rahul and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni pushed India to a final total of 359 for seven. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal then shared six wickets in limiting Bangladesh to 264 all out.
Dhoni struck 113 to Rahul’s 108 – and faced 21 few deliveries. Bangladesh deployed all of nine bowlers, but struggled to combat the big-hitting exploits of the twin centurions.
Chahal and Yadav exploited conditions well, capitalising against an opposition order unable to successfully negotiate marginal turn and extra bounce. Opener Liton Das gathered 73 and former skipper Mushfiqur Rahim welcomed 90, but lacked enough support to truly challenge an imposing target.
Yadav and Chahal’s success echoed sentiment that wrist spinners such as South Africa’s Imran Tahir, Australia’s Adam Zampa, New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi, England’s Adil Rashid and others will impress in the United Kingdom this month and the next.
Bangladesh’s 2019 World Cup campaign will start against the Proteas at The Oval in London on 2 June. India, too, will start against the Proteas at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton three days later.
Photo: Getty Images
