Bangladesh have set a target of 264/7 for India to get after being asked to bat Virat Kohli. The solid stand between Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, which yielded 123 runs for the 3rd wicket, was the only occasion when the Bangladesh side made India work hard for rewards. The duo, along with the tail-end duo of Mashrafe Mortaza and Taskin Ahmed, were largely responsible for the respectable total which is on the scoreboard.
Importantly, the Indian bowling attack showcased discipline right from the start of the innings and did not give Bangladesh any opportunity to get going. Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave a flying start to India, removing opener Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman for cheap scores and leave the batting side at a bothersome 36/2. But, rescue quickly came in the form of Iqbal and Rahim. The pair occupied the crease for 21.1 overs and laid a great platform for a huge total.
But, part-timer Kedar Jadhav swung the game in India’s favour and denied the Bangladeshis the opportunity to take advantage of the comfortable stage.
The turnaround began with Kedar Jadhav (2/22) cleaning up the well-set Tamim Iqbal (70 from 82 balls) in the 28th over. The left hander’s attempt to go for a big shot after a string of dot ball ended with the stumps shattered.
Shakib al Hasan (15 from 23 balls), who scripted the win over New Zealand with the bat, had a brief partnership with the well set Musfiqur Rahim (61 from 85 balls). But, unfortunately, both went back to the pavilion in the space of just 6 deliveries. It was a huge setback. Shakib was the first one to fall after he was stumped by Dhoni off Jadeja’s bowling. Shortly, Rahim followed him to the dressing room after failing to clear low full toss from Jadhav in the 36th over.
The tail enders contributed to their capability. Mosaddek Hossain (15 from 26 balls) hung around for a while. before Lucky runs, flying off the edges of Mashrafe Mortaza (30* from 25 balls) and Taskin Ahmed (11* from 14 balls) took Bangladesh score past the 250 run mark.
The two were exceptional considering their limited batting ability they possess. Both Mortaza and Taskin withstood some challenging bowling from Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to add whatever vital runs that came by.