A victory after Bangladesh steal march

Partnerships kept coming, and thanks to some excellent running between the wickets, the flow of runs never really stalled. Then, with enough wickets in hand, India mounted a late charge, plundering 66 runs in the last 6.3 overs to set Bangladesh a target of 318.

Only once in their history had Bangladesh chased down a bigger target: 319 against Scotland at the 2015 World Cup. But this was a pumped-up Indian bowling and the wicket was slow.

The boot was on the other foot.

Bangladesh needed an emphatic start, but opener Tamim Iqbal, who had smashed 154 and 95 in two of their three previous successful 300 plus chases, was trapped in front by Dhawal Kulkarni for five. It’s really thrilling and unsettling to hear 25,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs. But even more so is their ghastly silence. It was as if Rod Tucker hadn’t raised his finger, but lifted the remote and pressed the mute button.

But they located their voice boxes soon after as Soumya Sarkar deposited Stuart Binny over long and cracked him past extra cover next ball. For the next half an hour or so that Sarkar lasted, Bangladesh believed Banglawash was still possible. But Kulkarni did him in with a slower ball, that he sent high in the sky. And down Ravichandran Ashwin’s throat at mid-on.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das added another fifty brisk runs, but Dhoni’s man with the golden arm, Suresh Raina, struck in his second over, removing Rahim, while Axar Patel sent Das back six runs later.

Bangladesh were keeping up with the required run rate but now they were losing wickets frequently. When Raina made Shakib Al Hasan top-edge one that gripped the surface, the 3-0 hopes were practically over. Sabbir Rahman and Nasir Hossain launched counterattack. At the end of 28 overs, Bangladesh had made as many runs —161 — as India had at a similar stage.

However, the host had lost two extra wickets. Stuart Binny broke the brisk 49-run partnership with an off-cutter that crashed through Rahman’s defences. After which it was a matter of not if but when. The spectators began to make an early beeline towards the exits.

They had come to the Sher-e-Bangla stadium early, too, expecting a third consecutive series sweep from their team. And perhaps their most significant till date. India had barely turned up — or were allowed to turn up — in the first two games. Mustafizur had teased them with his angle and tormented them with his cutter. How would they sandbag against him?

‘We will respect him,’ Ashwin had said on Tuesday. And that’s what Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan did after India were sent in by Mashrafe Mortaza on an overcast day. Rohit was in fact looking comfortable against the left-arm pacer, picking his slower cutter. However, he threw the start away, attempting an expansive drive off one that went with the angle.

This was a soft dismissal, and one that could have cost India dearly as Mustafizur isn’t as dangerous a bowler in his first spell as he is with the old ball.

However, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli stitched a responsible 75-run partnership for the second wicket. The injured Taskin Ahmed’s absence also took some heat off them, and the paceman’s replacement, the left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, was picked off by the Indians.

Both Dhawan and Kohli batted with great control – Dhawan middled 89 percent of the balls that he faced, while the corresponding number for Kohli was 97 percent, till he went for a mighty sweep against Shakib Al Hasan, only to miss the ball completely and see his stumps in disarray.

The Sher-e-Bangla roared, and then booed as Dhoni walked out. After cautious start, Dhoni soon began to step out and hit the bowlers. But once Dhawan fell to Mortaza, Dhoni relied primarily on singles and doubles as he added 93 sapping runs with Rayudu.

Playing through cramps, Dhoni brought up his half-century. The crowd clapped this time. He still retains some fans in the country despite his collision with Mustafizur in the first match.

The launch pad was ready, but Rayudu and Dhoni fell in quick succession. There was forecast of rain during the match, but it was Raina who arrived and gave the India innings the impetus it needed.

He would return to give crucial breakthroughs and give a positive end to India’s long and draining season.