Press Trust of India
Mirpur, Feb 24: Favourites India launched their campaign in style as they thrashed Bangladesh by 45 runs riding on a brilliant 83 (55b, 7×4, 3×6) by Rohit Sharma in the opening encounter of the Asia Cup T20 tournament here Wednesday.
Put into bat on a pacer-friendly wicket, India scored a challenging 166 for six with Rohit scoring his runs under pressure after the visitors were reduced to 42 for three at one stage. Hardik Pandya (31 off 18 balls) was the other notable contributor.
In reply, Bangladesh were never in the game being restricted to 121 for seven in the stipulated 20 overs at the Sher E Bangla National Stadium.
Their decision to prepare a greenish wicket and unleash four pacers boomeranged badly as the home team’s batsmen could neither handle spin or pace and were virtually decimated on the day.
Veteran Ashish Nehra (3/23) was literally unplayable with his variations as well as brisk pace that he generated. He was on a hat-trick in his final over. Jasprit Bumrah (1/23) also dealt an initial blow while Pandya (1/23) Ravichhandran Ashwin (1/23) and Ravindra Jadeja (0/25) maintained the pressure to indicate the real difference in quality between the two sides.
Earlier Rohit played a scintillating innings under pressure to pro India. He and Pandya put on 61 runs for the sixth wicket in just 27 balls to propel the innings after India had been reduced to 97 for four in the 15th over. The 50 of their partnership came off 17 deliveries.
While India got into trouble at 52 for three after first 10 overs, the next half saw them score a whopping 114 runs, primarily due to Rohit, who enthralled one and all with his dazzling stroke play.
When he was finally out to brilliant catch in the deep taken by Soumya sarkar, India had not only recovered but were also on way to setting a competitive target. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished the innings with a pulled six off Al-Amin Hossain (3/37).
The turning point was the 11th over of the Indian innings bowled by Taskin Ahmed. On a personal score of 21, Rohit slashed hard at a Taskin delivery but Shakib al Hasan, at point, dropped the catch and the complexion of the game changed drastically.
Rohit took full advantage of the dropped catch as the next three deliveries yielded 14 runs including two fours and a six.
After Yuvraj’s dismissal caught at the deep mid-wicket fence by Sarkar off Hasan, Rohit found an able ally in Pandya.
Scoreboard
India: Rohit Sharma c Sarkar b Al-Amin Hossain 83,S Dhawan b Al-Amin Hossain 2, V Kohli c Mahmudullah b Mashrafe Mortaza 8, SK Raina b Mahmudullah 13, Yuvraj Singh c Sarkar b Shakib Al Hasan 15, HH Pandya c Mahmudullah b Al-Amin Hossain 31, MS Dhoni n o 8, RA Jadeja n o 1, Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-3) 6, Total (for 6 wickets) 166.
Fall: 1-4 (Dhawan, 1.3 ov), 2-22 (Kohli, 4.3 ov), 3-42 (Raina, 7.5 ov), 4-97 (Yuvraj Singh, 14.5 ov), 5-158 (Sharma, 19.2 ov), 6-158 (Pandya, 19.4 ov).
Bowling: Taskin Ahmed 3-0-22-0, Al-Amin Hossain 4-0-37-3, Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-40-0, Mashrafe Mortaza 4-0-40-1, Mahmudullah 2-0-9-1, Shakib Al Hasan 3-0-15-1.
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar c Dhoni b Bumrah 11, Mohammad Mithun b Nehra 1, Sabbir Rahman c Dhoni b Pandya 44, Imrul Kayes c Yuvraj b Ashwin 14, Shakib Al Hasan r o (Rohit/Dhoni) 3, Mushfiqur Rahim n o 16, Mahmudullah c Sharma b Nehra 7, Mashrafe Mortaza c Jadeja b Nehra 0, Taskin Ahmed n o 15, Extras (lb-4, w-6) 10, Total (for 7 wickets) 121.
Fall: 1-9 (Mithun, 2.2 ov), 2-15 (Sarkar, 3.2 ov), 3-50 (Kayes, 9.5 ov), 4-73 (Shakib, 12.3 ov), 5-82 (Rahman, 14.1 ov), 6-100 (Mahmudullah, 16.3 ov), 7-100 (Mortaza, 16.4 ov).
Bowling: Ashish Nehra 4-0-23-3, Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-23-1, Hardik Pandya 4-0-23-1 Ravi Ashwin 4-0-23-1, Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-25-0.