India thrash Bangladesh to take lead in series

GWALIOR: India handily defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in their first of three T20I’s on Sunday. They had 49 balls to spare, as the young side defeated their more experienced Bangladeshi counterparts.

BANGLADESH’S INNINGS

There was hope early for Bangladesh as Litton Das seemed to be getting off to a quick start. On the very first ball he faced, Das smashed the ball for four. Unfortunately, on the very second ball he faced, Das was caught out. He looked for a big shot again, but a the delivery from Arshdeep Singh found a massive top edge that sent the ball to Rinku Singh.

With Das out, it was up to someone else to start building momentum for Bangladesh and Parvez Hossain Emon took up the mantle. He smashed the ball deep square leg for a six. The Bangladeshi opener would make one more run before Singh would bowl him for his sexond wicket in the next over. The ball hit the inside edge and ricocheted onto his wicket.

With both openers out, Bangladesh was in trouble. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy tried to get the offense going for Bangladesh. Hridoy hit two fours, and Shanto got one of his own with a six not long after. Yet, India was unrelenting in their pressure, as Varun Chakravarthy got Hridoy out. Hridoy hit Varun’s delivery straight to long-on, only for it to be caught by Hardik Pandya.

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Then it would be Mayank Yadav who added to Bangladesh’s demise next, as all rounder Mahmudullah would get out on the second ball he faced. He barely got his bat on it, but it was enough to send it to Washington Sundar for an easy catch.

Jaker Ali would be balled two overs later on a delivery from Varun. The ball would find a gap between Ali’s bat and pad to send the Bangladeshi batsman back to the locker room. Shanto, who made Bangladesh’s second highest score at 27 runs, would fall in the 12th over, as Sundar would slow his delivery down, causing Shanto to chip the ball straight back to him for the catch.

Rushad Hossain would fall in the 14th over, after the delivery from Varun go the top edge of Hossains bat. Pandya would make the catch. Two wickets would fall in the 18th over, with Taskin Ahmed being run out after he made a late attempt to let Mehidy Hasan Miraz get back on strike.

Shoriful Islam would come in, and be bowled by Pandya on the second ball he faced. Bagladesh’s last wicket would fall in the last over, after Singh got Mustafizur Rahman out, courtesy of a Yorker that smashed through the off and middle stumps.

Bangladesh’s innings would end with one ball to go. They made 127 runs, with Miraz being the standout with 35 runs.

INDIA’S INNINGS

India’s dominance would continue in their batting, ending the match in only the 12th over. Sanju Samson would start off the first over with two fours. Abhishek Sharma wanted in on the fun, hitting a six, with a pair of fours to follow, in the very next over. However, it was a short stay for Sharma, who would be run out almost immediately. It was an unfortunate end to what looked to be an incredible innings, as he made 15 runs in the four balls that over.

Samson would continue to find the boundary, with Suryakumar joining in as well. In the fifth, Suryakumar hit two back to back fours, before ending the over with a six. He would hit one more soon after, but would be caught out not long after that. The ball flew straight to deep square leg, where Ali took the catch. The Indian batter had made 29 runs in his innings.

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Samson would hit a couple more fours before being caught out himself, after the ball came off the inside half of his bat, setting up an easy catch for Hossain.

It would be Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s assault that would allow India to cruise to victory, with a partnership of 52 runs. The majority was made by Panday’s extraordinary 39 runs off 16 balls.

BANGLADESH Playing XI: Parvez Hossain Emon, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto

Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman

INDIA playing XI: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mayank Yadav.