Dhaka, May 12:

Gautam Gambhir hit a gutsy 101 as India defeated Bangladesh by 46 runs in the second one-day international to take a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

The left-handed opener’s second one-day hundred and an unbeaten 42 from captain Rahul Dravid fired India to 284-8 from 49 overs after they elected to bat first.

Piyush Chawla, an 18-year-old leg-spinner playing his first one-dayer, then grabbed 3-37 after two early strikes by Zaheer Khan to restrict Bangladesh to 238-9.

Habibur Bashar (43), Aftab Ahmed (40) and Mushfiqur Rehman (35) led the home team’s charge, but failed to build on solid starts. Mashrafe Mortaza provided some consolation for 25,000 fans towards the end with a 42 off 22 balls that included four consecutive sixes off Dinesh Mongia.

The match was reduced to 49 overs a side as play was delayed by 30 minutes due to light morning showers.

Gambhir anchored the Indian innings and hit 11 boundaries, needing the help of a runner for the last 25 minutes after suffering leg cramps. India, who won Thursday’s opening match at the same venue by five wickets, batted with aggression from the start.

Gambhir put on 43 for the first wicket with Virender Sehwag (21) and 87 for the second with Mahendra Dhoni, who made 36 before he became the first of left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique’s three victims. Yuvraj Singh smashed 24 off 22 during a third wicket stand of 44 with Gambhir to propel India to 174-2 by the 32nd over. India lost four wickets in the last six overs, but Dravid stayed till the end to set Bangladesh a stiff target.

Both teams made one change from Thursday’s game. Chawla made his one-day debut for India in place of seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. Pace spearhead Mortaza returned for Bangladesh after missing the previous match with a back strain. He replaced seamer Shahadat Hossain.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA

V Sehwag c Omar b Rasel 21

G Gambhir b Rasel 101

M Dhoni c Rahim b Rafique 36

Y Singh c & b Rafique 24

R Dravid not out 42

D Mongia c Rafique b Razzak 17

D Karthick lbw b Rafique 6

P Chawla st Rahim b Razzak 1

R Powar lbw b Mortaza 5

Z Khan not out 9

Extras: 22 (b1, lb7, w9, nb5)

Total: 284/8 (49 overs)

FoW: 1-43, 2-130, 3-174, 4-210, 5-239, 6-251, 7-258, 8-273

Bangladesh bowling: Mortaza 10-0-57-1, Rasel 10-1-49-2, Razzak 10-0-59-2, Saqibul 7-0-40-0, Rafique 10-0-59-3, Aftab 2-0-12-0

BANGLADESH

J Omar c Karthick b Zaheer 11

T Iqbal run out 7

A Ahmed b Powar 40

S Hasan c Dhoni b Zaheer 5

M Ashraful b Chawla 12

H Bashar st Dhoni b Chawla 43

M Rahim c Karthick b Yuvraj 35

M Mortaza c Sehwag b Yuvraj 42

M Rafique c Uthappa b Chawla 13

A Razzak not out 9

S Rasel not out 4

Extras: 17 (b4, lb2, w8, nb3)

Total: 238/9 (49 overs)

FoW: 1-18, 2-51, 3-60, 4-86, 5-92, 6-151, 7-176, 8-192, 9-230

India bowling: Zaheer 7-0-32-2, Patel 7-0-34-0, Chawla 10-0-37-3, Powar 10-1-32-1, Mongia 8-0-57-0, Yuvraj 7-0-40-2