It was an emphatic 131-run victory in the end for Robin Singh's charges in Group C's last match after the home side capitulated to 178 all out in 40.3 overs chasing India's 309 for seven disappointing the expectant holiday crowd of around 30,000.

Only a win yesterday would have taken Bangladesh to the Super League but instead, they will now have to settle for the Plate competition that features the bottom two teams from the four groups. India topped the Group with three straight wins while New Zealand finished second to move into the next round.

It all went wrong after Bang-ladesh skipper Ashiqur Rahman had won the toss and put India. It was a strange decision considering the history of the pitches at the BNS where every team wants to bat first for their flatness and the tendency to get slower and lower with the progress of the game.

Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Robin Uthappa went about their business in resounding fashion to further establish that fact. Left-hander Dhawan, who already had an unbeaten hundred to his name scored against Scotland, brought up his second ton with a 148-ball 120 adorned with 14 fours.

Uthappa was the other notable scorer with 59 off 63 deliveries and hit nine boundaries.

The two scored at a fantastic pace and never let the Bangladeshi pacemen settle down. Opening bowlers Nazmul Hossain and Rubaiyat Huq were treated with disdain and were smacked to all parts of the ground. Even fast bowler Shahadat Hossain Rajib, so impressive in two earlier games, found the going tough against the marauding Indians who put on 135 before Uthappa was lbw to left-arm spinner Nadif Chowdhury in the 25th over.

India lost captain Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina within two runs but cameos from wicketkeeper Dinesh Kartik (25 off 23), Gaurav Dhiman (32 off 16 including two mighty sixes) and Abhishek Sharma (23 off 13) ensured a total which Bangladesh had to play out of their skins to get even close.

While the pacers were being clubbed, Test spinner Enamul Haque (10-0-46-1) and Nadif (10-0-45-0) managed to earn some respect.

The home side also gave a poor account of themselves in the field. Apart from numerous fumbles, they made the fatal error of dropping Dhawan twice. On 64, Nadif floored him off Enamul at square leg.. Dhawan also got a reprieve at 109 as Aftab Ahmed muffed a simple chance at point of Shahadat.

Faced with a mountain to climb, Bangladesh never got going after the dismissal of prolific opener Nafees Iqbal for eight to paceman Vikram Singh. Only a quickfire 44 from 29 balls by number four Aftab kept the fans' interest alive. Aftab belted nine powerful fours but left arm-spinner Praveen Gupta put an end to his blitz.

No one else threatened as Gupta (6.3-1-21-3) and leg-spinner Sharma (9-0-39-3) spun India to victory.

"We thought about the toss a lot and in the end decided that as bowling was our strength, the best chance we had of winning was by restricting India. We also expected the dampness in the wicket to come in our favour but as it didn't work out that way," said Bangladesh coach Richard McInnes adding that the occasion might have got to his boys.

"You have to remember that these are 16/17 year olds and obviously the expectation of the whole country did play on their minds."

Robin Singh was happy with the win but looked for further improvement.

"I thought we should have got to 340. The target is to improve all the time and I feel we need to up our fielding a bit in the coming games," said the former Indian all-rounder.