India vs Bangladesh, World Cup 2019: Saifuddin puts up mighty fight in losing cause

Bangladesh's No. 8 batsman gave India a proper scare with a late cameo, even giving his team slim hopes of overhauling India's 314.

Mohammad Saifuddin hit nine fours in his unbeaten 38-ball 51.

Bangladesh was 179 for six when Mohammad Saifuddin walked out to bat against India, with 136 more runs to get and his team fighting to stay alive in the World Cup. Bangladesh's hopes had faded with the fall of Shakib Al Hasan for 66, but the team's No. 8 batsman came out fighting and gave India, which was coasting, a proper scare.

Saifuddin second scoring shot was a lofted drive down the ground off Mohammed Shami and he followed it by heaving the last ball of the over for a four wide of mid-on. Saifuddin was a big reason in Shami losing his line and length when he came back for his second spell.

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The left-handed batsman hit a total of nine fours and his ability to find gaps on the field particularly stood out over the course of his 38-ball knock.

Even Jasprit Bumrah, who bowls the heavy ball and hits the blockhole consistently at the death, wasn't spared: Saifuddin smashed a blockhole delivery on the stumps from Bumrah, in the 48th over, for a four down the ground, to get to his maiden ODI half-century.

It was an innings that couldn't take Bangladesh over the line, predominantly because Saifuddin ran out of partners, but his innings had both India worried and took Bangladesh much closer to the target, going down by just 28 runs in the end.