Ton-man army: One shy of Cloud 49

Kohli on the cusp of matching Tendulkar's ODI centuries record as India still unbeaten after four matches

- VIVEK KRISHNAN

PUNE: Seven hours of play at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium on Thursday told us little we didn't already know. We were aware that India's bowlers have been performing as a pack. Their batters have been in pristine touch. Bangladesh's batters have been prone to squandering a good situation. Their bowlers have lacked firepower.

The proceedings on Thursday didn't veer from the norm, and so India's juggernaut rolls on. Their seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh has extended their streak at this World Cup to four wins out of four. The night ended with fireworks and chants of Kohli...Kohli... reverberating around the stadium after Virat Kohli clobbered a six over midwicket to finish unbeaten on 103. It was telling that Kohli's hunt for a century-his 48th in ODI cricket - was the only matter of intrigue in the closing stages of the game.

To add to the consistency with bat and ball, India were also excellent in the field on Thursday with KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja grabbing great catches. It should set the stage for an enthralling contest with New Zealand, who also have four wins, in Dharamsala on Sunday. The only sour note for India from the day was Hardik Pandya straining his ankle in the ninth over and playing no further part in the game.

Having restricted Bangladesh to 256/8-the Indian spinners pulled it back after a 93-run stand between openers Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das-the response was predictably positive. They had taken the aggressive route in successful run chases against Afghanistan and Pakistan, and there was no reason to alter their approach, especially on a belter of a pitch akin to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.