Bangladesh came close to producing the biggest shock in the ICC World Twenty20 before they throw it away in the last three balls to suffer a heartbreaking one-run loss to India in Bangalore on Wednesday. Bangladesh required 11 runs from the last over when Mushfiqur Rahim eased the pressure with two successive boundaries before all ended pretty shockingly for the Tigers as the hosts pulled off a thriller.
Mushfiq (11) unnecessarily tried to end the game with a big shot and picked up the midwicket fielder to give the first twist in the tale on a Hardik Panday delivery before cool-headed Mahmuduallah (18) did the same after steering his team almost to the doorstep of victory.
Needing a desperate win, India played far from good cricket, dropped catches, batted badly but they fought and ensured they were in the game till the last moment and Bangladesh gave up agonizingly.
The Tigers showed tremendous spirit with the ball to restrict India within gettable 146-7 and got the kind of start they needed from fit-again Tamim Iqbal and one-down Sabbir Rahman.
Tamim provided Jasprit Bumrah a nightmare after he dropped the left-hander at fine leg off Ashish Nehra, hitting him for four fours in one over before he was removed by Ravindra Jadeja for 32 off 25 balls.
Sabbir Rahman took the game to Bangladesh’s way with his 26 off 15 balls only to fall victim to a brilliant piece of wicketkeeping by Indian skipper MS Dhoni ended his innings that somehow kept his side in the match.
Sakib al Hasan hit two sixes to regain the momentum but fell at a very wrong time after making 22 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin, who dropped Sakib at extra cover, produced a gem of a delivery to induce an edge from his bat to end his onslaught.
Bangladesh made some experiment with their batting line up and nearly reaped a result as Soumya Sarkar took the game close with run-a-ball 21 coming at number seven.
Bumrah came back with two brilliant overs that forced Bangladesh to wait until the last over, an over that will haunt them now forever as they were unable to score just two runs from the last three balls.
It was an undeserving end for a unit that gave everything they could with the ball to stop the Indian juggernaut from posting any big total.
India were regarded as one of the best batting sides in the world but Mashrafee bin Muratza, who won a toss after seven successive losses, rotated his bowlers to get brilliant response from almost everyone.
As a result, they kept on pressurising the Indian batsmen who could not manage to come out of their shell after they were allowed very little room to exercise their shots.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma demonstrated some good looking shots to entertain the crowd before Sakib and Mustafizur Rahaman led the fight back.
Mustafiz scalped Sharma and Sakib trapped Dhawn in front as India could assemble just 59 runs in the first 10 overs. Under pressure to increase the run-rate, Virat Kohli was undone by Shuvagata Hom before Al-Amin Hossain grabbed two wickets in two balls to stun India.
Hardik Panday was the victim of a stunning Soumya catch just after Al-Amin forced a catch from Suresh Raina, India’s top-scorer with 30, to Sabbir at the deep.
Yuvraj Singh survived the hat-trick ball but fell to the trap of Mashrafee, who introduced Mahmudullah for a brilliant result as the left-hander spooned a catch to Al-Amin at fine leg.
It left Dhoni to lift India, which he did, but not with the bat and only with his captaincy in that ill-fated final over for Bangladesh.
-With New Age input
