With a six-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the second ODI, India have lost the three-match ODI series 0-2 with a match still left on the tour.
After the visitors were bowled out for 200 runs in 45 overs (rain reduced match to 47 overs-a-side) by the Mustafizur Rahman-led attack, Bangladesh were asked to chase a revised target of 200 in 47 overs under the D/L method. The young pacer claimed six for 43 and became only the second bowler after Brian Vittori to take five-fors in his first two ODIs. The batsmen laboured to put runs on the board as Mustafizur and Co. tied down with varying lengths and pace. It was the young pacer’s slower deliveries and cutters that had the Indian batsmen in a bind.
India had a tough task ahead of them as they looked to defend the sub-par total against the hosts who were riding on the confidence of their previous wins. Sniffing a series win, the Bangladesh batsmen took on the bowlers from the start and despite losing wickets even as partnerships began to take shape they closed in on the target comfortably. Coming in to bat with the hosts on 98 for three, Shakib Al Hasan anchored the chase with an unbeaten 51-run knock to help attain the target with 54 balls to spare.
Earlier, 0-1 down in the three-match ODI series made three changes to the team for the must-win game. Ajinkya Rahane made way for Ambati Rayudu, Axar Patel and Dhawal Kulkarni replaced Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma. As they endevoured to post a stiff target, India were tied down by Mashrafe Mortaza’s men from the word go after electing to bat.
On the second ball of the game India lost Rohit Sharma without a run on the board. The opener departed hitting Mustafizur to Nasir Hossain at point. Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli then toiled to build the innings. After a chancy knock in the previous game, the opener worked to hold the innings together in the second match. With a boundary in almost every over, the pair kept the scorecard moving. Kohli hit Mustafizur over mid-on for six and a boundary through the region to take India past fifty in the ninth over.
Dhawan slammed Mortaza for two back-to-back boundaries after a brief rain interruption as India strove to gain control. However, the visitors lost Kohli to Nasir Hossain at the crucial juncture. Playing across, the No.3 was trapped lbw with a delivery that stayed low. MS Dhoni then promoted himself up the order and with Dhawan stretched the innings past the three-figure mark in face of the disciplined Bangladesh attack marshaled by Mortaza.
Nasir tested the Indian batsmen, and bowling with the experienced Shakib Al Hasan plugged the flow of runs. Mortaza’s introduction of spin from both ends dried up the odd boundary as well. Five overs without a hit to the fence added to the pressure. And although Litton Das behind the wickets missed an opportunity to send back Dhoni off Nasir on 20; the off-spinner forced an edge from Dhawan to the wicketkeeper later in the over. To add to India’s woes, Rubel Hossain sent Ambati Rayudu back for naught in the next.
At 110 for four, Suresh Raina joined forces with Dhoni in the middle but Rubel and Mortaza kept the batsmen at bay with judicious use of variations. Struggling to maintain a steady flow of runs, the pair scraped together a partnership which was ended for 53 by Mustafizur. A short-ball in the first over of the batting powerplay, forced an edge from Raina through to Das to end the stand. He then accounted for Dhoni and was on a hat-trick with the wicket of Patel in the fifth over of the crucial phase. The captain returned mis-timing the hit to Soumya Sarkar at short cover, while Patel was out lbw. In his next over, the pacer had Ravichandran Ashwin nick the ball to Das to complete his five-for.
With India on 196 for eight in 43.5 overs rain interrupted play. When it resumed, Mustafizur bowled Ravindra Jadeja to claim his sixth wicket on the last ball of his quota. Rubel then wrapped-up India’s innings in the next over with the wicket of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
With Sarkar at the other end Tamim Iqbal then got the hosts off to a blistering start. After the third umpire concluded Tamim was not out off Dhawal Kulkarni’s second ball, with Kohli seeming to have grassed the catch, the opener smacked Bhuvneshwar and Kulkarni for boundaries. With 24 runs conceded in the first three overs, Dhoni replaced Kulkarni with Ashwin and the off-spinner repaid the captain’s faith by drying up runs from one end with a two-over spell.
Back in the attack, Kulkarni had Tamim caught in the slips with a slower delivery. Sarkar and Das gleaned runs with ease as the Indian bowlers looked to create chances. While Sarkar dismissed Patel for six, Das struck him over mid-wicket and in the square-leg region as they collected 15 off his first over. But, Ashwin ended the partnership for 52 by claiming Sarkar lbw for 34 in the following over and 12 runs later Das departed edging Patel to Dhoni.
An over later, Raina missed a chance at first slip to send back Rahim who had edged Patel past the wicketkeeper. The batsman later lofted the spinner over extra over and then for six on the opposite side as he milked the bowling with Shakib Al Hasan to keep Bangladesh on course for the target.
However, the flourishing partnership was halted by MS Dhoni for 54. Rahim looking to sneak in a second run was run out 31. At 152 for four, Sabbir Rahman joined Shakib in the middle and helped inch towards target. Sabbir slammed Kulkarni for a couple of boundaries later and Shakib reached his half-century with a boundary of Patel through mid-wicket as they approached the target. With composed knocks the pair took the team across the line.
Man of the Match: Mustafizur Rahman for his record breaking, match-winning six-wicket haul in only his second ODI
