ADELAIDE: Fifties from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, superb bowling spells by bowlers helped India clinch a 5-run victory over Bangladesh in a rain-curtailed clash of Group 2, Super 12 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in Adelaide.
In a rain-curtailed 16-over match, Litton Das lit up Bangladesh’s chase with his 60 coming off 27 balls but the batter failed to guide his team home. For India Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya bagged two wickets each. With three wins in their hands out of four matches, India are the Group 2 table topper with six points. On the other hand, Bangladesh are in third place with four points. Chasing a target of 185, Bangladesh got off to a flying start as their opener Litton Das hammered Indian bowlers all around the ground. Litton slammed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 16 runs while hitting 1 six and back-to-back 2 fours in the 3rd over of the innings. Litton in red-hot form single-handedly took his team’s score to the beyond 50-run mark in the 6th over of the game.
Bangladesh opener Litton also brought up his 21-ball half-century with a stunning six off Mohammed Shami’s delivery. After seven overs of the game, the rain stopped the play and Bangladesh needed 119 runs in 78 balls with Litton Das at 59* and Najmul Hossain Shanto playing at an unbeaten 7 off 16 balls. Bangladesh’s score read 66 without a loss in 7 overs. At that stage Bangladesh were 17 runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. The play resumed and Bangladesh’s revised target was 151 in 16 overs – they need another 85 in nine overs with all wickets in hand.
Team India struck in the first over after the rain break. Litton Das was sent packing after scoring 60 off 27 balls by K L Rahul who delivered a brilliant direct hit to run out Bangladesh’s opener to keep India in the game. Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan then came out to bat. Mohammed Shami was brought back into the attack and the Indian veteran pacer gave another blow to Bangladesh as he removed Shanto for 21 off 25 balls.
The left-handed batter Afif Hossain then came out to bat at the crease. Shakib then hammered Ravichandran Ashwin for 11 runs with 2 four in the 11th over of the innings to ease some pressure from his team. Young speedster Arshdeep Singh gave Bangladesh double blows as he sent Hossain and Shakib packing to bring India back in the game, leaving Bangladesh Tigers tottering at 101/4.
New batters Nurul Hasan and Yasir Ali then came to the crease. At that point, Bangladesh kept losing a wicket as their batter Yasir Ali was sent back to the pavilion by Hardik Pandya after scoring just one run. In the same over Pandya struck again to dismiss Mosaddek Hossain for 6, leaving Bangladesh at 108/6. The equation went down and Bangladesh needed 31 off 12 balls. In the second-last over Taskin Ahmed slammed Pandya for 1 four and 1 six, but the Indian all-rounder handled the pressure to close out the over with Bangladesh needing 20 runs in 6 balls.
Arshdeep was handed the ball to bowl the last over of the match and Nurul Hasan slammed a six on the second delivery of the over. The young pacer held his nerve as Bangladesh needed 7 runs in 1 ball but Arshdeep closed out the match and handed Team India a 5-run victory in the rain-curtailed 16-over match.
Earlier, the 50s from Virat Kohli and K L Rahul helped India reach a powerful 184/6 in their 20 overs in their Group 2, Super 12 match. Virat (64*) had a historic outing as not only his score powered India to a huge total, but he also became highest run scorer in T20 World Cup history. K L Rahul (50) also found form. Hasan Mahmud (3/47) was pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh. Made to bat first by Bangladesh, India was off to a shaky start. Medium pacer Hasan Mahmud dismissed skipper Rohit Sharma for just two runs off eight balls. India was 11/1 in 3.2 overs. The Men in Blue were off to a slow start and were tested by some movement of the ball and pace of Bangladesh bowlers.
Virat Kohli was next up on crease and he started a partnership with K L. K L looked in good touch and took the Bangladesh bowlers to attack after a slow start. Virat also expressed his attacking intentions from the get-go. At the end of the power play in six overs, India was at 37/1, with Kohli (13*) and Rahul (21*) unbeaten. Virat kept striking the ball well and became the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cup history, overtaking Sri Lankan great Mahela Jayawardene.
A 50-run stand was up between Virat-K L in just 32 balls. K L looked far better than he had looked in recent months, bringing up his fifty in just 31 balls, his 20th in the format. However, KL was dismissed immediately after his fifty by Shakib al Hasan after a catch by Mustafizur Rahman at short fine leg. KL was back in the pavilion for 50 off 32 balls and India was 78/2 in 9.2 overs. The 36-ball 67-run stand between the duo was over.
Suryakumar Yadav, the recently crowned number-one T20I batter came to crease to join Kohli. The duo took India into the second half of their innings safely. At the end of 10 overs, India was at 86/2, with Virat (24*) and Suryakumar (7*). Suryakumar took the aggressor role with Virat at the other end, smacking some fine boundaries. However, Shakib got his second wicket of the match by dismissing him for a quickfire 30 off 16 balls. Suryakumar was trying to slash the ball but missed it and it hit his stumps. India was 116/3 in 13.3 overs.
Hardik Pandya was next up on the crease. At the end of 15 overs, India was at 130/3, with Kohli (40*) and Pandya (5*). Pandya’s short run at the crease ended in 6 balls at a score of 5 runs. Mahmud got his first scalp with Yasir Ali catching at the backward point. India was at 130/4 in 15.1 overs. Dinesh Karthik was at number six, with a responsibility to come through with his finishing skills. Virat brought up his 36th T20I fifty, his third in the tournament, in just 37 balls. Karthik’s stay at the crease was short too as it ended after an unfortunate run-out. India was at 150/5 in 17 overs, with Karthik back in the hut for seven runs.
Axar Patel was next up. Bangladesh Tigers kept pulling things in their favour, this time with the dismissal of Axar for 7. Mahmud got his third wicket of the match. Ravichandran Ashwin joined Virat. Virat took India into the 170s with a four and six in the last two balls of the 19th over. Both helped India post 184/6 in their 20 overs. Virat scored an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls with eight fours and a six. Ashwin also scored 13*. Mahmud was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, he took 3/47. Shakib also took two wickets.
Brief Scores: India: 184/6 (Virat Kohli 64*, KL Rahul 50, Hasan Mahmud 3/47) vs Bangladesh 145/6 (Litton Das 60, Nurul Hasan 25*; Hardik Pandya 2-28). (ANI)