After an 11-year gap, Bangladesh secured a significant victory against India in the Asia Cup, clinching a narrow six-run win. This triumph marks their first win over India in the Asia Cup since their 2012 encounter on home turf.
Shubman Gill hit a century while chasing the target of 266, but his effort went in vain as the Bangladeshi bowlers successfully defended the total.
Despite missing some of their star players, both teams were on equal footing in terms of strength. Bangladesh emerged victorious in this closely contested match.
Bangladesh bat first against India in their last Asia Cup outing
The Asia Cup has been a forgettable event for Bangladesh thus far. However, their last victory in the last match added a touch of memorability to their campaign.
In the crucial final over of the match, Bangladesh faced the task of defending 12 runs. Debutante pacer Tanzim Hasan delivered an outstanding performance, conceding no runs in the first three balls.
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However, Mohammad Shami managed to strike a crucial four off the fourth delivery. The tension escalated on the fifth ball when Shami and Prasidh Krishna attempted a risky double that ultimately resulted in an unnecessary run-out, ensuring the Bangladesh win.
"The first wicket of Rohit bhai was a dream wicket,” Tanzim Hasan said after the match, who ended up taking two wickets for 32 runs. “I just concentrate on line and length. I mentally prepared myself for a long spell. I’m feeling very good.”
With being sent to bat first, Bangladesh faced critical moments but managed to put up a total of 265 runs. Shakib Al Hasan was the standout performer, exhibiting a composed innings of 80 runs off 85 balls.
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Nasum Ahmed, coming in at the eighth position, played a pivotal role with a valuable contribution of 44 runs, instrumental in pushing the Tigers beyond the 260-run threshold. Towhid Hridoy also made a significant impact, securing a half-century. However, the extended slump in form for Litton Das raised concerns for the team.
Shardul Thakur was the best bowler for India, taking three wickets, while Shami scalped took two.
In Reply, India lost their captain Rohit Sharma quickly to Tanzim. Debutante Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan were also sent back quickly. But Subhman was firm at the other end of the wicket to guide the team to chase the total. Axar Patel scored 42 at the late order, but that was not enough to seal the match for India.
In the 49th over, Mustafizur Rahman bagged the wickets of Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel, making the job of Tanzim in the last over easier. Mustafizur ended up taking three wickets in crucial moments.
“I should give credit to Sakib (Tanzim),” Bangladesh captain Shakib said. “I think we have got a very good team (for the World Cup. A lot of injuries and players coming in and going out didn't help during this Asia Cup."