Images: India crush Bangladesh in Dambulla

Electing to bat, Bangladesh got off to a flying start with openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes putting on 35 runs 17 deliveries, against India, in the second match of the Asia Cup in Dambulla on Wednesday.

Pacer Praveen Kumar provided India with the first breakthrough when he got the wicket of Iqbal. The left-hander hit Kumar for a boundary and a six before he was caught in the covers in the third over.

India made a good start to the competition with a crushing six-wicket victory against Bangladesh with more than 19 overs to spare.

Photographs: Reuters

Bangladesh were comfortably placed at 81 for one in the 13th over before they lost their way.

Ashish Nehra started the rot with two quick wickets. Mohammad Ashraful struggled to 20 from 37 balls before he top-edged an attempted pull shot and was caught on the square leg boundary.

Imrul Kayes stroked 37 from 35 balls, inclusive of seven boundaries, before he failed to connect a pull shot off Nehra and was caught by Virender Sehwag on the leg side.

Harbhajan Singh compounded their woes further when he struck in his first over, bowling Shakib Al Hasan for seven with his quicker arm delivery.

Given the ball as captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni desperately needed a part-time bowler to cover up for an injured Ashish Nehra (2 for 28), Virender Sehwag ran through the Bangladesh lower order.

Mushfiqur Rahim was Sehwag's first victim of the innings, caught off an inside edge on the leg side by Dhoni for 30.

Sehwag finished off the innings with the wickets of Syed Rasel (0), Shafiul Islam (0) and Suhrawadi Shuvo (4) in his third over.

The part-time bowler conceded just six runs in 2.5 overs, including three in his final over, to trigger a lower order collapse. Sehwag excelled with the ball, claiming four wickets, as Bangladesh were dismissed for a paltry 167 in a mere 34.5 overs.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets in his third over to give his team some hope.

First, Virat Kohli was stumped by wicketkeeper Rahim for 11 and the very next delivery Rohit Sharma was trapped leg before wicket as India were reduced to 80 for three after 15 overs.

Gambhir (48), struggling to find his timing, got a lucky reprieve when his intended uppercut off Shafiul Islam was dropped by Iqbal at thirdman. The left-hander completed his half-century off 67 balls in the next over with a single on the off-side, in the 19th over.

Gambhir fell in the final over, trapped leg before wicket by Mashrafe Mortaza, but Dhoni ended the innings in some style, hitting back-to-back boundaries off Mortaza.

Gambhir hit a solid 82 from 101 balls, while captain Dhoni finished unbeaten on 38 from 45, as India cruised to 168 for four in 30.4 overs, winning with more than 19 overs to spare and claim the vital bonus point.