BAN VS IND - 2nd Semi-Final (A2 v B1), ICC Champions Trophy, 2017

India versus Bangladesh was supposed to be India all the way and that way it was today. After a string of upsets, the jinx has been broken. Will it remain that way? Ponder over it as we take a leave. This is Kumar Abhisekh Das exiting the box in the elite company of MS Ramakrishnan, Akshay Maanay, Abhishek Chaudhary and Venky!

Mashrafe Mortaza: Obviously we could have got to 300-320. Once Kedar came in, he restricted us by picking those 2 wickets. We have some players who are youngsters who could not go through in the tournament. We have some experienced players as well who would come in strongly next time. We need to be mentally strong. Skill wise we are fine. Once, you are playing a game like this, you need to be mentally strong.

Virat Kohli: Absolutely, we had another complete game. When we won the toss, I expected another clean and collective performance. Honestly, we never expected us to win by nine wickets but that is quality that we have at the top of the order. Both the guys at the top gave us a great start. It allowed me to play my natural game. With the ball, we never let them away for anything. The two quick wickets stopped their momentum. He (Kedar Jadhav) has bowled in India as well. He is a part-timer and picks up wickets in the middle overs. He is a smart guy. He knows where to pitch it. Those two wickets turned the game around for us. Had those guys carried on, we would have been chasing 300. (1/2)

(2/2) I was feeling really good. I always try to give myself sometime. Last time we had lost a wicket and I had to play with patience. Today was an opportunity for me to play the way I can. It came off. Going to 30-35, I knew I was hitting the ball well. Credit to Rohit. To Shikhar as well. Hopefully, they can give us another solid start in the final. It's the end of the tournament but we will approach it like any other game. It might sound boring. The side that gets less excited and has more composure will win the final. We are very keen to get on the park for the final. We might be tested in the final as well but I am confident of our team doing well when the pressure is on. It is never a worry when the guys in the middle order are not batting. It is a worry when the middle order is batting too much too early in the tournament. Hardik and Yuvi in the first game and MS in the second have come in and batted well. When an opportunity presents itself, everybody is waiting to come out and grab onto it. Everybody is hitting the ball really well in the nets. One word for the crowd. They have been absolutely amazing in supporting us. They have come in huge numbers to support us.

Rohit Sharma, Man of the Match: It was a great knock, especially when it comes on a winning note. Always memorable when you score a hundred and win the game. Last two games also I was trying to get a big one, unfortunately could not get through. After playing the initial few overs, it was all about you making mistake and getting out. I kept telling myself to bat as deep as possible. We have been playing some good cricket. Even our bowling, we have been bowling well. We have all bases covered. One last hurdle against Pakistan, we know it is going to be a big one. We will be up for it, but for now we will cherish this win. He (Virat Kohli) was absolutely fluent; as soon as he walked in, it felt like he was batting overnight. That's the kind of form he is in. As a captain on the field, he was brilliant, manoeuvring the field and making the right bowling changes.

Stats round up courtesy Deepu Narayanan

--- Shikhar Dhawan (680 runs) & Ravindra Jadeja (16 wickets) became the leading run-getter and highest wicket taker for India in Champions Trophy.

--- Virat Kohli became the quickest player to 8000 runs in ODIs - in 175 innings.

--- Rohit Sharma's 100 was the 1000th international century in England (836 in Tests, 163 in ODIs & one in T20s) - the first country to witness that.

--- Virat Kohli became the leading run scorer in IND-BAN ODIs with 654 runs going past 592 by Gautam Gambhir.

--- 178-run stand between Rohit & Kohli is the highest second wicket stand for India in Champions Trophy going past 161 by Ganguly & Laxman against Kenya in Rosebowl in 2004.

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An All Asian finale! What better than an Indo-Pak battle? Scenes of the 2007 T20 WC will be relived for sure. Stir your memory sac. For the moment. The presentations and the captain comments coming up. The Bangladeshi helium balloon has been pricked after it soared to heights that it looked like going away from everyone's reach.

An 8 over spell from their skipper was not as inspiring despite him nipping out Dhawan in the last over of his spell. Kohli came, Kohli saw, Kohli scored after that in company with Rohit Sharma. Rohit and Kohli matched each other shot for shot lighting up Edgbaston. For Bangladesh, they did come a cropper with the finish in the last 20 overs and then with the ball. Batting throughout the tournament hinged on Tamim and he delivered again but his dismissal triggered a collapse that the tigers would rue for a long time to come.

Tenth appearance for India in ICC events finals (3 WCs, 2 WT20S & 5 CTs) - the joint most for a team along with Australia.
** including two in CT 2002.

Harsha Bhogle: India's batting flexed its muscles. It got no reply from Bangladesh on a tough surface to bowl on.

The Indian players come out for the customary handshake. And pretty much like the last edition of the CT, the Indian middle order is hardly tested. India take on Pakistan on 18th June, 2017. Save the date. This was a ransack by India in the run chase. They looted the opposition bowlers as per their needs. Rohit - 123*, Dhawan - 46, Kohli - 96* accounted for all the answers needed to get into the finale. Bangladesh after putting up a below par show with the bat forgot to turn up with the ball.

S Rahman to Kohli, FOUR, Drives and drives well! That is it!! India win. India comprehensively rout Bangladesh by 9 wickets with 59 balls to spare. That was a well tossed up delivery and Kohli shovelled the drive out into the covers to follow it up with a fist pump in the air. Tamim and Kohli walk back with some chatting

Ganesh pings: 24340 in attendance, it's a record for an ODI at Edgbaston is the announcement here.

Harsha Bhogle: It seems just the other day that a chubby young man was turning to play for India. And already Virat Kohli has 8000 ODI runs!

Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, treks back deep in his crease and nurdles the ball away into the on-side for a single. Only 4 needed now. 8 for Kohli to get to a ton! Come on mathematicians. Find a way out!!

Shakib to Rohit, 1 run, lunges ahead and dinks the ball down to long-on for a single

Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, steps back and tucks the ball away into the deep mid region for a single

Shakib to Rohit, 1 run, flattish delivery and the batsman rocks back to punch it through covers for a single

Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, drives it down the ground to long-off for a single. Moves to 90!

Shakib to Kohli, no run, dabs the ball down to short third man

S Rahman to Rohit, no run, stays on the front foot and negates the ball back to the bowler