Record partnership seals Bangladesh win
LACKLUSTRE BATTING COSTS INDIA IN ODI THRILLER
MEHIDY HASAN MIRAZ hit an unbeaten 38 and put on a record 10th-wicket stand as Bangladesh edged out India by one wicket in a thrilling opening ODI encounter last Sunday (4).
Chasing 187 for victory, the hosts fell to 136-9 before Mehidy and Mustafizur Rahman put together a 51 run partnership – Bangladesh’s best ever for the final wicket in a successful run chase – to achieve their target with 24 balls to spare in Dhaka.
Bangladesh lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second match on Wednesday (7) at the same venue.
Mehidy, coming in to bat at number eight, hit four fours and two sixes and survived a dropped catch by wicketkeeper KL Rahul on 15 to turn the match on its head.
He hit the winning runs in his 39-ball knock, triggering celebrations as the players came running onto the field and the home crowd erupted.
“This performance is really memorable for me,” he said after being named man of the match.
His skipper Liton Das said he had “no words to describe this feeling” and congratulated Mehidy as he made a winning debut as ODI captain in the absence of the injured Tamim Iqbal.
Mustafizur scored 10 off 11 balls as he and Mehidy stood firm in the fourthhighest 10th wicket partnership in a successful ODI chase to record a famous win.
Shakib Al Hasan set up victory with his impressive bowling, returning figures of 5-36 to help bowl out India for 186 in 41.2 overs despite Rahul’s 73 after Bangladesh elected to field first.
But Bangladesh collapsed after a few good partnerships, including a 48-run stand between Das and Shakib.
Indian spinner Washington Sundar got Das out for 41 and then Shakib to a stunning one-handed catch at extra cover by Virat Kohli.
Bangladesh suffered a double blow in successive balls when Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim fell after a 33run stand for the fifth wicket.
The hosts looked to be cruising at 128-4 in the 35th over, but lost their way after Mahmudullah fell lbw to Shardul Thakur and then Mohammed Siraj bowled Mushfiqur.
Debutant fast bowler Kuldeep Sen came back to pick up two wickets in the first over of his second spell to send back Afif Hossain and Ebadot Hossain.
Siraj snapped up Hasan Mahmud to claim his third wicket but Mehidy, who also got one wicket with his off-spin, did the unthinkable with Mustafizur for company.
“We bowled pretty well and kept them under pressure till the end. They held their nerves in the back end,” said India skipper Rohit Sharma.
“The genes are there, these guys grew up playing in such conditions. It is all about handling pressure. Hopefully, we change things around in the next game.”
Rahul, who kept wickets after regular glovesman Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the series due to injury, smashed five fours and fours sixes in his 70-ball knock for India, but the rest of the tourists’s batting disappointed.