Asia Cup: India cruises to title win

The host found its score of 120 too meager to challenge the efficiency of the Indians, who completed the chase with an over to spare. Earlier the match was reduced to a 15-over affair after a thundershower delayed the start by two hours.

Published : Mar 07, 2016 00:30 IST , Mirpur

Shikhar Dhawan (left) and Virat Kohli steered India's chase with a 94-run stand for the second wicket.
Shikhar Dhawan (left) and Virat Kohli steered India's chase with a 94-run stand for the second wicket.
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Shikhar Dhawan (left) and Virat Kohli steered India's chase with a 94-run stand for the second wicket.

India produced another dominant performance to down host Bangladesh by eight wickets in the final of the Asia Cup here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The host found its score of 120 too meager to challenge the efficiency of the Indians, who completed the chase with an over to spare. Earlier the match was reduced to a 15-over affair after a thundershower delayed the start by two hours.

>Full scorecard and ball-by-ball update

Shikhar Dhawan played the lead with an attacking 60 as Virat Kohli supported him ably – in a 94-run stand for the second wicket – by remaining unbeaten on 41. Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished the match with a six-ball 20 to give India the sixth Asia Cup title. This was India's 10th win in 11 matches.

Rohit Sharma struggled to time the ball and ended up edging one to the Soumya Sarkar at slip off Al-Amin Hossain. Kohli and Dhawan shared six boundaries in the fifth and sixth overs to ease the pressure after Rohit's early dismissal.

Read the post-match comments >here

The two overs tilted the advantage towards India. Mortaza then introduced his surprise package -- off-spinner Nasir Hossain – who was drafted in place of left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny. Hossain put the breaks on the Indian scoring but that seemed to have little effect on the situation as Mortaza himself remained comparatively expensive at the other end.

Dhawan recovered from a slow start and hit eight boundaries and a six to reach his 50 in 35 balls. After the 10th over India reached 71 for one and looked set for a comfortable win. Dhawan was caught by Sarkar at point off a brilliant effort as the Indian tried to go after Taksin Ahmed.

Leaving nothing to chance, Dhoni promoted himself when India needed 22 of 2.2 overs. The Indian skipper was in an attacking mood and hit two sixes and a four in the 19th over bowled by Al-Amin Hossain and ensured the win in style.

Earlier, Bangladesh reached 120 for five after some great hitting towards the end by Mohammad Mahmudullah (33 not out). Dhoni chose R. Ashwin to open India's bowling to test the conditions. Ashish Nehra, once again provided India an early breakthrough, getting Soumya Sarkar (14) out in the second over before young pacer Jasprit Bumrah got rid of the other opener Tamim Iqbal, in the fifth over of the innings.

Shakib Al Hasan, promoted in the batting order, got the host out of the crisis with some good hitting but got out at 21 mistiming a slog sweep off Ashwin. With Mushfiqur Rahim getting run out by Virat Kohli and captain Mashrafe Murtaza returning with a duck, Mahmudullah rescued the Bangladesh innings, hitting Hardik Pandya for two sixes and a four. Through Mahmudullah’s lusty hitting Bangladesh collected 21 runs in the 19th over to make it a challenging total in the end.

PTI adds: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today congratulated the Indian team for their exciting win against Bangladesh in the T20 Asia Cup final in Mirpur.

Congratulating the Indian team’s excellent performance, Das said the victory would boost the morale of the players ahead of the T20 World Cup.

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