India's Mahendra Dhoni drives through the on side as Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim watches during their first one-day international match in Dhaka yesterday. India won by five wickets with Dhoni unbeaten on 91. - Reuters

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP):

MAHENDRA DHONI and Dinesh Karthick scored unbeaten half-centuries to guide India to a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh yesterday in their rain-shortened first limited-overs international.

The win serves as some revenge for India, who were bundled out of the just completed World Cup in the preliminary round, thanks largely to a five-wicket upset loss to Bangladesh.

Chasing a target of 251, India stumbled to 33 for threebefore captain Rahul Dravid steadied the innings with a 49-run, fourth-wicket partnership with Dhoni.

Dhoni and Karthick then shared an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand, scoring 107 runs in 17.5 overs to put India in control.

Dhoni, who survived lbw and run out scares and had to use a runner after injuring his hamstring, had 91 runs off 106 balls to propel India to the winning target with the loss of five wickets in 46 overs. He brought up his half century off 67 balls with five boundaries. Karthick finished with 58 off 60 balls.

The match was shortened to 47 overs per innings after rain twice delayed the start by about 50 minutes at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Indian skipper Rahul Dravid praised the partnership between Dhoni and Karthick.

"It was really a special partnership," said Dravid after the match. "They have controlled their innings under huge pressure.

"But we (the team) could do better in the match. Still, it's a good win."

Syed Rasel first trapped opener Gautam Gambhir (21) lbw and took out his partner Virender Sehwag (30), while Shahadat Hossain dismissed Yuvraj Singh for one run.

Shakib al Hasan dismissed Dravid for 22 and Dinesh Mongia for 17,

Al Hasan had the best bowling figures for Bangladesh with two wickets for 43 runs. Hossain notched 1-43, while Rasel was the most expensive with 2-68.

Disappointed

"We are a bit disappointed. We played very well, but India played well too," Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar said.

Earlier, opening batsmen Javed Omar and al Hasan smashed aggressive half centuries to power Bangladesh to a competitive 250 runs for seven wickets after Bashar won the toss and elected to bat first.

Omar shared a solid, 78-run opening stand with Tamim Iqbal, which ended when Iqbal (45) was caught by Sehwag near the boundary while trying to hit a Dinesh Mongia delivery for six.

Bashar, playing in his last one-day series, faced just two balls before he was caught out for a duck in similar fashion off Ramesh Powar.

Omar and Hasansteadied the innings with a 107-run, third-wicket partnership, before Omar was run out by Zaheer Khan for 80, which came off 117 balls and included seven fours and two sixes.

Hasan went on to hit 50 off 67 balls, with two boundaries, until he was stumped by Dhoni off a Mongia ball.

Mongia led the Indian bowling attack with figures of three wickets for 49 runs. Powar had 2-55, while Sehwag added 1-46.