Big brother slams the door on the way out

It was India’s highest total against Bangladesh and their sixth-best ever in one-dayers.

The visiting bowlers then restricted Bangladesh to 257-9, only Rajin Saleh putting up any resistance with a career-best 82 off 114 deliveries. Sachin Tendulkar finished with 4-54 with his occasional spin.

India, who won the series opener by 11 runs in Chittagong, lost by 15 runs on Sunday after being bowled out for 214.

In the decider, however, India launched their assault immediately with Sehwag reaching 50 from just 36 balls with consecutive boundaries.

The opening stand was worth 106 when Tendulkar fell for 47, caught behind while trying to cut seamer Khaled Mahmud. Sehwag was then caught at long-on also by Mahmud.

The scoring rate slowed after the openers departed, but Ganguly and Dravid hit some lusty blows after settling down and went on to share in a stand of 98 for the third wicket.

Ganguly smashed two sixes in his 59th half-century and was caught off Rajin Saleh while going for a third.

Dravid became the year’s highest run-scorer in one-day internationals, eclipsing Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, before he was caught at mid-off after giving the charge to Left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique.

It then seemed India would struggle to reach 300 but Yuvraj had other ideas.

He played an array of audacious shots, including a flicked six over mid-wicket from outside off-stump, as the visitors plundered 99 in the last eight overs. Yuvraj reached his 17th half-century in just 22 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes in all. Kaif was the perfect foil in their 93-run stand, scoring 29 off 24 deliveries.