Remarkable Rahman the hero for Bangladesh
BANGLADESH teenager Mustafizur Rahman became only the second player in One Day International history to take five wickets in his first two matches as he inspired his country to a shock series win against India.
Rahman, 19, who claimed five for 50 in Bangladesh’s 79-run win on Thursday at the National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, followed up with six for 43 at the same venue yesterday to clinch a historic six-wicket win. This triumph for Bangladesh over their mighty foe was only their fifth ever and gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the threematch series. It also cemented their place in the 2017 Champions Trophy.
India elected to bat after winning the toss and were eventually bowled out for 200 in 45 overs after rain had reduced the game to a 47-over match.
Rahman set the trend by taking the wicket of Indian opener Rohit Sharma for a duck with the second ball of the contest and went on to snare dangerman MS Dhoni (47), Suresh Raina (34) and Ravindra Jadeja (19).
He then trapped Axar Patel lbw first ball to set up a hat-trick and, although that was missed, he removed Ravichandran Ashwin (four) soon after. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who struck 53 off 60 balls, was the only India batsman to make a half-century as the hosts were set a Duckworth-lewis revised victory target of 200 from 47 overs.
Bangladesh set about their modest run chase and when opener Tamim Iqbal was caught by Dhawan off Dhawal Kulkarni for 13 in the seventh over they had 34 runs. Soumya Sarkar (34) and wicketkeeper Litton Das (36) lifted Bangladesh to 86 in the 17th over. But Sarkar fell to Ashwin lbw and India had the hosts at 98 for three.
Bangladesh needed 48 when Mushfiqur Rahim (31) was brilliantly run out by Dhoni, but star man Shakib Al Hasan dispelled any doubts with 51 not out off 62 balls to ease the hosts home and spark scenes of wild jubilation.