Gurkeerat Singh Mann (5/29) bowled India ‘A’ to 96-run win after scoring a crucial 65 off 58 to salvage the innings earlier in the day. With the thumping win in the opening game the hosts lead the three-match one-day series 1-0. Asked to bat, India ‘A’ set the visitors a 323-run target after being left reeling on 76 for four. Half-centuries by Sanju Samson (73 off 76), Mann and Rishi Dhawan (56 not-out) helped the home team to a formidable total after the middle-order collapse. While wickets crumbled at the other end after a whirlwind start, opener Mayank Agarwal (56 off 70) held the innings together with a well compiled half-century. Unmukt Chand was the first to depart in the fifth over with 44 runs on the board. The team were reduced to 76 for four as Taskin Ahmed sent back the captain. Shafiul Islam then removed Manish Pandey, and with the score on 76, Nasir Hossain trapped Suresh Raina lbw and ran out Kedar Jadhav in the next over. Agarwal then built a partnership with Samson until Nasir Hossain claimed the opener and ended the partnership for 49. The wicketkeeper-batsman, however, anchored the innings and with support from the batsmen following him, Samson revived the host’s innings. Mann, who then joined Samson in the middle, helped seize the advantage from Bangladesh with a quick-fire knock as they took the team to 227. Arafat Sunny halted Mann’s blitzkrieg but Rishi Dhawan who then came to the middle took the attack to the visitors while Samson held-up the other end. The Samson-Dhawan pair took India ‘A’ past the 300-run mark before the wicketkeeper-batsman was sent back by Islam in the penultimate over. The all-rounder who had launched into the Bangladesh ‘A’ attack remained unbeaten on 56 (off 34 balls) with two sixes and eight boundaries while Karn Sharma was not out on 11 as the home team finished with 322 runs.

Defending the pile of runs, S Aravind claimed the Bangladesh ‘A’ top-order to leave the opposition on 34 for three. The pacer claimed Soumya Sarkar to end the opening stand for 25 and trapped Anamul Haque leg-before off the next ball. In his next over the bowler castled Rony Talukdar to push the visitors on the back-foot. 38 runs later Dhawan accounted for Mominul Haque and a few overs later caught Sabbir Rahaman off his own bowling. With half the side back in the dressing room Nasir and Liton Das joined forces in an effort to repair the wobbly innings. The duo put up a fight and added 102 runs to the tally to take the team to 207 until Nasir was removed by Mann for 52.

The sixth wicket triggered another collapse for the visiting side. In Mann’s next over, the bowler ended Das’ stay in the middle for 75. In his following over the off-spinner had Rubel Hossain stumped for three leaving Bangladesh ‘A’ on 223 for eight. He then bowled Sunny and claimed Taskin Ahmed to bowl India ‘A’ to victory. Brief scores: India ‘A’ 322/7 in 50 overs (S Samson 73, G Mann 65, R Dhawan 56, M Agarwal 56, N Hossain 2/51) beat Bangladesh ‘A’ 226 all out in 42.3 overs (L Das 75, N Hossain 52, G Mann 5/29, S Aravind 3/29) by 96 runs