The impoverished South Asian nation has spent more than $100 million to tidy up for the tournament it co-hosts with India and Sri Lanka, looking at the showpiece as the biggest event since independence in 1971.
Beggars have been paid to stay off roads, hawkers have been evicted from overcrowded pavements and buildings given a new coat of paint. Efforts have even been made to reduce the infamous traffic jams in the bustling capital.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s efforts to forge a new image for the country, whose economy has grown at a hefty rate of six percent annually over the past decade, has won support from private banks and businesses.
“In the present world perspective, sports is not a mere entertainment, rather they help brand a country,” Hasina said at the renovated Bangabandhu National Stadium where Thursday’s opening ceremony takes place.
Canadian singer Bryan Adams will be the star attraction at the opening ceremony, which will also include performances by Indian, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi artistes.
Dhoni ton lifts India
Indian batting, led by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s power hitting, forced New Zealand into submission by piling on a massive total and earned the co-host an easy 117-run win in the warm-up game Wednesday.
Dhoni started cautiously but tore apart the New Zealand bowling once he got set, blasting an unbeaten 108 off just 64 balls, with 11 boundaries and three massive sixes.
Gautam Gambhir (89), Virat Kohli (59) and Suresh Raina (50) also chipped in with half-centuries as India amassed a massive 360-5 from 50 overs, after opting to bat first.
New Zealand started on a positive note and took the attack to the Indian pacemen but failed to keep the momentum going once the Indian spinners came into action.
The loss of openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early did not prove costly for India as Gambhir and Kohli laid the foundation for the onslaught with a 106-run partnership for the third wicket.
Dhoni and left-hander Raina, who was under pressure to confirm his place in the team, added 124 runs for the fifth wicket. Raina persished after completing a 26-ball half century. The Indian captain at one point hit seven consecutive boundaries – five off Jacom Oram and two against off-spinner Nathan McCullum – and made the bowlers pay for drifting on to his pads.
The Indian pace attack, without the experienced Zaheer Khan, did not look threatening, and it was left to the spinners to put the brakes on.
Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum added 94 for the opening wicket but New Zealand kept losing wickets at important junctures, making it an impossible chase.
Brendon McCullum’s run out when he started looking threatening did not help either. Spinners Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla and Yuvraj Singh and left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra all finished with two wickets for India.
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