Chasing a stiff target of 245 for eight on a two-paced wicket, the Tigers had laboured for most of the overs before Mashud and Khaled Mahmud brought them back in the game.

Mashud blasted 50 not out off just 39 deliveries to send the full house at the MA Aziz into a frenzy. The 28-year-old came in with Bangladesh needing 103 off the last 12 overs and added 40 off 33 balls with Mahmud and then featured in a blistering 34 off just 16 deliveries with Tapash Baisya. However, the charge came a little too late for the home team who ended on 234 for eight.

Before Mashud's knock, Bangladesh were kept in the game by captain Habibul Bashar who had repaired the innings which threatened to fall apart at 44 for three inside 15 overs.

Gone were opener Mohammad Rafique to the catch of the year by Yuvraj Singh, local favourite Nafees Iqbal for a painstaking nine off 52 balls and Mohammad Ashraful (2).

Rafique's dismissal came in sensational style after the makeshift opener had just blasted a six off left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan having been hit on his gloves with the previous delivery. Rafique flashed hard to another delivery from Pathan but Yuvraj at point leaped into the air and with his natural hand at full stretch caught the ball which was surly heading for the boundary.

Bashar found an inspiring partner in another Chittagong boy Aftab Ahmed (30 off 49) and the pair put on 62 crucial runs before Aftab holed out to Harbhajan Singh at long-off. Aftab had shown the urgency needed with two fours and a straight six but Rajin Saleh failed to carry on the momentum.

Bashar also perished when he tried to clear the boundary but during his 65, he became the second Bangladeshi batsman to reach 1,000 runs in both forms of the game after Mashud.

Debutant Sriram was India's most successful bowler with three for 43.

Earlier India found themselves in trouble at 45 for three having elected to bat first.

Skipper Sourav Ganguly was out for nought in the first over when he dragged a Baisya delivery on to his stumps. Then came the big one when a Nazmul Hossain inswinger took Sachin Tendulkar (19) inner edge to Mashud.

Yuvraj also went without making too many leaving the ever-dependable Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif to consolidate with a crucial 128-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Dravid reached his 55th half century in the 37th over off 74 balls hitting four boundaries but it was Kaif's 80 off 111 balls that mainly helped India to post the winning score.