Sharma, Sundar send India into final

Washington Sundar, second left, celebrates the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal, right, with his teammates during their second Twenty20 cricket match in the Nidahas Trophy triangular series in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - Pix by Shantha Rathnayake

By Madushka Balasuriya

Rohit Sharma finally found some form and Washington Sundar continued his, as India beat Bangladesh by 17 runs to secure their place in the final of the Nidahas Trophy, a result which makes Friday’s match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh a virtual semi-final.

Having chased down a record 215 in their last game, Bangladesh would have been confident in hunting down a target of 177. However, while Liton Das and company made it a point to target Sri Lanka’s spinners, the added accuracy of Sundar on a pitch that was a touch slower proved a tougher task.

Sundar did the damage early, striking in each of his first three overs to leave Bangladesh reeling on 48 /3 at the end of the Powerplay period. First he spotted Das coming down the track and flighted one a touch wider to have the Bangladesh keeper stumped for seven. 

He then clean bowled Soumya Sarkar with a trademark darted delivery, as the batsman tried and missed a heave on the leg side. A similar fate befell Tamim Iqbal, who too had his stumps disturbed, having walked across the crease in an attempt to lift the ball over short fine leg.

Sundar’s partner in spin Yuzvendra Chahal then had Mahmudullah caught at deep midwicket and Bangladesh’s chase was fast falling apart, however a 65-run fifth wicket partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman offered Bangladesh’s small contingent of traveling fans some respite.

Mohammed Siraj, who had been drafted in in place of Jaydev Unadkat, was targeted in particular as the fast bowler went for 50 runs in his four overs. In one memorable over Rahim dispatched the quick for three consecutive boundaries, including a delicious six over cover.

While Siraj was expensive, the rest of the Indian bowling continent were on point, with both Chahal and Sundar going for less than six an over, while Vijay Shankar also conceded just 28 runs in his four overs. Shardul Thakur meanwhile varied his pace as usual, picking up the key wicket of Rahman to break the partnership, and all but end any lingering hopes of a Bangladesh win.

Earlier, Sharma had overcome a slow start to score a 61-ball 89 as India made their wickets in hand count to post what was eventually a match-winning 176/3. Bangladesh would have been disappointed not to have restricted India further though, after doing well to shackle the opening pair of Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan for long periods. 

Having been put in to bat on a pitch that was holding up a touch, the pair managed just 49 runs in the Powerplay, while their 70 run partnership - their highest of the tournament - came off a fairly pedestrian 59 deliveries. This was largely down to the efforts of Nazmul Islam and Rubel Hossain who each gave away just 27 runs from their four overs. It was Hossain also that broke the opening partnership, dislodging Dhawan’s middle stump with a fuller one that swung away late.

That wicket however might have worked to India’s advantage as it brought Suresh Raina to the crease, who continued his brisk-scoring run of form as he lashed a 30-ball 47. When he eventually was caught in the final over off Hossain, he had bludgeoned seven boundaries, including two sixes. It was in this period that the game slipped away from Bangladesh.  While Raina was delivering from one end, Rohit was beginning to flex his muscles at the other. Having bided his time and hit just five boundaries in the first 15 overs of the innings, he doubled that tally in the final five, smashing five fours and five sixes each. Rubel Hossain would return to bowl a splendid final over that would see Rohit run out off the final delivery, however by that point the damage had already been done.