INDIA CLINCH T20 TRISERIES
DINESH KARTHIK’S LASTBALL SIX SEALS TITLE
COLOMBO: Bangladesh were on the cusp of breaking their T20 hoodoo against India in the Nidahas Trophy T20 tri-series final on Sunday. Vijay Shankar (17) and Manish Pandey (28) were struggling and the asking rate had mounted.
India needed 34 off 12 balls and it looked like a lost cause. Pandey’s departure though brought Dinesh Karthik at No 7. Rubel Hossain, who had picked 2/13 in three overs, was about to bowl the 19th over.
What followed was a master- class from Karthik which changed the complexion of the game. The India wicketkeeper got off the mark by blasting a low full toss over long on for six and followed it up with a powerful blow to long on for four. The batsman hammered another length ball over deep mid wicket for his second six and ended the over with a scoop to the fine leg fence. With 22 runs coming off Bangladesh’s best bowler, India’s hopes rose.
In the final over bowled by Soumya Sarkar, Vijay Shankar squeezed a boundary off the fourth ball but fell as India were left needing five off the last ball. However, Karthik demonstrated his finishing ability and carved a full ball high over sweeper cover for his third six to seal the match.
Bangladesh, asked to bat first by Rohit Sharma, had scored 166/8 and India finished on 168/6.
Karthik’s eight-ball 29, after Rohit Sharma’s 14thfifty (56 off 42 balls) helped India prolong Bangladesh’s agony in T20s at the Premadasa Stadium.
Chasing 167, India made a blazing start with Rohit Sharma starting aggressively with two sixes and a four off Mehedi Hasan. Bangladesh fought back by getting rid of Shikhar Dhawan (29) and Suresh Raina (0). Rohit was joined by KL Rahul and the pair steadied the innings, with the stand-in skipper targeting Nazmul Hasan with a four and six to close in on his milestone.
The 51-run stand was broken by Rubel with Rahul miscuing a pull to Sabbir Rahman at deep square leg. With Rahul’s dismissal, Bangladesh had found an opening and did not concede a single boundary for the next 29 balls.
In that period, Nazmul dismissed Rohit for 56 and the Bangladesh players did the Naagin dance sensing a famous win.
Shankar and Pandey struck some crucial boundaries as the asking rate mounted. Mustafizur bowled a wicket-maiden in the 18th over, but Karthik had other ideas.
Bangladesh’s highest-ever T20 total against India was made possible due to Sabbir Rahman’s fourth fifty. Sadly, Sabbir’s (77) effort went in vain as India made it 8-0 in T20s against Bangladesh.