India's disabled cricket team beat Bangladesh by 59 runs and registered their first win in the Physical Disability T20 World Series at Old Elizabethans Cricket Club in Worcester yesterday. Left-arm spinner Anish Rajan (5-15), a mechanical engineer by profession, impressed with the ball, as did all-rounder Suganesh Mahendaran (60 off 35 balls, 7x4, 3x6), the son of an autorickshaw driver. After being put in to bat, India lost its top three batsmen with just 80 on the board after 10 overs.

However, Mahendaran, who had also scored an impressive 62 in the warm-up game against England last week, continued his form. His quick half-century saw the Indians finish on 182 for five after 20 overs. "Initially, it was difficult to play my natural game as they were bowling well but then I had a good partnership with [skipper] Vikrant [27 off 21] and we built on it. After spending some time out in the middle, I found it easier to play my strokes. It's great to score a half-century in my first World Cup match," Mahendaran, who shared an 80-run stand for the fourth wicket with Keni, told mid-day from Worcester yesterday. In reply, Bangladesh managed just 123 for eight in their 20 overs with M Vuian (33) and S Shamim (30) being their notable scorers.