NEW DELHI (Web Desk) Indian bowlers fired in unison to guide their team to a convincing 77-run victory over Bangladesh in the third and final match of the ODI series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka on Wednesday.
With this win, India salvaged some pride and prevented the hosts, who had already pocketed the series, from registering a rare clean sweep as Bangladesh won the series 2-1. For India, Suresh Raina (3/45), Dhawal Kulkarni (2/34) and R Ashwin (2/35) bowled superbly to give India an easy victory.
Chasing a mammoth 318-run target, Bangladesh were bundled up for 240 in 47 overs despite maintaining a good run rate for major part of their innings. The only problem was that they lost wickets at regular intervals and their 50 plus partnerships couldnt blossom into big one. Bangladesh were 34/1 after 5 overs as they reached 100-run mark in just 15.1 overs. Bangladesh crossed the 200-run mark in 34.1 overs, Times of India reported.
Stuart Binny, who opened bowling for India, dropped Soumya Sarkar in the third delivery of the innings on his follow through. The ball flew to the left of Binny, who attempted to take the catch with one hand but the ball didnt stick to his left hand. Binny gave away 25 runs in his first three overs. In a rare incident, Paceman Umesh Yadav gave away 14 runs in his very first over that included 5 wides and two fours.
Dhawal Kulkarni gave Bangladesh a denting blow early on as he trapped seasoned Tamim Iqbal in the second over of the innings to give India early breakthrough. Kulkarnis delivery swung sharply into Tamim, who was looking to block but missed it as the ball struck on the pads.
Kulkarni was at it again to get rid of dangerous Soumya Sarkar, who scored a quickfire 34-ball 40 which included 5 fours and 2 sixes. Ravichandran Ashiwn took an easy catch at mid-on as Sarkar looked to lift it over Kulkarnis head but mistimed it altogether and couldnt get the elevation. Soumya Sarkar and Litton Das added 54 runs for the second wicket.
Mushfiqur Rahim was playing quite well before edging a Suresh Raina delivery which was well caught by Dhoni behind the stumps. Rahim, who scored 24 off 30 balls, added 50 runs with Litton Das for the third wicket. Axar Patel soon joined the party as he cleaned up Litton Das (34). Patels slider sneaked through the gap between bat and pad and it crashes into the leg stump.
Raina picked up his second when he got rid of Shakib Al Hasan (20), who played a reckless slog sweep on a flighted delivery which was well caught by diving Dhawal Kulkarni at long on. Bangladesh lost three quick wickets in a space of 36 runs as they were 148/5 from 112/3 at one stage. Raina got his third wicket when he dismissed Rubel Hossain.
Stuart Binny broke the crucial 49-run partnership stitched between Sabbir Rahman and Nasir Hossain for the sixth wicket when he unleashed an off-cutter that gripped and turned, Rahman pushed it away from the body but the inside edge crashed into Rahmans leg-stump. Ravichandran Ashwin too opened his account as he clean bowled Mashrafe Mortaza for duck. Ashwin scalped Nasir Hossain (32) to claim his second victim of the innings
Earlier, brilliant knocks by skipper MS Dhoni (69) and opener Shikhar Dhawan (75) helped India post a mammoth total of 317/6 against Bangladesh. Skipper Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss and decided to bowl against India. Umesh Yadav and Stuart Binny drafted in to the playing XI replacing Bhuneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja.
Dhoni, who once again promoted himself at No. 4, was ably complemented by Ambati Rayudu (44) as the duo stitched 107-run partnership, the highest of the innings, for the fourth wicket. Dhoni played a fine knock as he scored his 59th ODI fifty off just 58 balls which included four boundaries and a six.
Suresh Raina played a blistering knock of 38 runs off 21 balls towards the end to take India to a respectable score before becoming the second victim of Mustafizur Rahman.
Raina was looking to slog it out of the park but he missed and the ball that went to hit the top of the off stump. Stuart Binny (17) and Axar Patel (10) remained unbeaten as they made some useful contributions for the team.
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza put the brakes on Indian scoreboard when he dismissed Rayudu for his second wicket, who scored a brisk 49-ball 44, in the 44th over. Mortaza struck again to scalp Dhoni, who made a fine 69, in the 46th over to pick up his third wicket.
For Bangladesh, Mortaza (3/76) and Mustafizur (2/57) were the main wicket-taking bowlers although the paceman duo gave away too many runs in their stipulated quota of overs. Shakib Al Hasan was the pick of the bowler as he gave away just 33 runs in his 9 overs picking up one wicket.
The batting powerplay fetched 28 runs and this was the first time India had not lost a wicket during the batting powerplay in this series. Mustafizur Rahman opened the bowling for Bangladesh, after Mortaza won the toss and put India into bat, as he unleashed five dot balls straightaway and conceded just three runs in his first over.
The opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan played dangerman Mustafizur cautiously early on and let the ball come on to the bat instead of chasing the ball.
India lost their first wicket at the score of 39. Rohit Sharma lost his patience and finally gifted his wicket to Mustafizur by playing a reckless shot on a widish delivery with no foot movement at all as he was comfortably caught by wicketkeeper Litton Das.
Rohit Sharma scored a brisk run-a-ball 29, that included two boundaries and one six, but could not turn into a big knock after quite a decent start. Mustafizur gave away just 25 runs in first spell of five overs picking up one wicket.
Dhawan raced to his 50-ball half-century in style with a fine paddle sweep towards the backward square leg boundary for four. Dhawan got a reprieve at the score of 40 when he tried to reverse paddle off-spinner Nasir Hossains flighted delivery outside the off stump which went straight into the hands of wicketkeeper Litton Das but he messed it up in the end.
Dhawan played a blazing knock of 73 off 75 balls studded with 10 boundaries and added 44 runs for the third wicket with Dhoni. Seasoned Shakib Al Hasan introduced into the attack in the 20th over and he immediately produced the result by dismissing Virat Kohli, who added crucial 75 runs for the second wicket with Shikhar Dhawan.
Shakib did the trick as he cleaned up Kohli (35) who tried to play a big shot but completely missed the line and the ball crashed into the middle and leg.
Skipper MS Dhoni, who joined Dhawan in the middle after Kohlis dismissal, played a maiden over bowled by Shakib but he showed his intentions clearly in the very next over when he dispatched Nasir for a four and six in successive deliveries.
Dhawan hit a fine punch to Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza for a boundary but the paceman, came back strongly, with a slower one in the very next delivery forcing Dhawan to play a mistimed pull shot that got the toe-end of the bat and was well caught by Nasir Hossain at short mid-wicket.
