It went till the last ball, but Indian batsmen kept their cool to ensure that the team clinched its seventh Asia Cup title in Dubai on Friday, beating Bangladesh by three wickets. The clash of the neighbouring nations swayed like a pendulum, but in the end, India had the last laugh. After a hard-fought win, the members of the Indian team decided to bask in the glory. After all, they played hard to be the champions of Asia.
India required six runs in the last over when Bangladesh captain, Mashrafe Mortaza, handed over the ball to Mahmadullah. The all-rounder tried his best to keep the Indians under pressure, but in the end, the Men in Blue sealed a win. It was hard for Mahmadullah to come to terms with yet another close defeat.
Kedar Jadhav picked up an hamstring injury while batting but that did not deter the batsman from playing an unbeaten knock of 23, which eventually helped India seal the deal. The all-rounder struggled to run between the wickets, but showing an indomitable spirit, Jadhav guided the team home.
While it was an outing to remember for India, it was a heartbreak for Bangladesh's young batsman Liton Das. Full of talent, Liton played a gritty knock of 121, earlier in the day, to help Bangladesh put up a competitive total. After a series of low scores, Liton could finally reach a three-digit score in the tournament. But in the end, that could not ensure a victory for the Tigers.
The Bangladesh team is known for his antics on the field, and during the Nidhahas Trophy in Sri Lanka earlier this year, the Bangladesh players introduced a 'Naagin dance' (snake dance) to celebrate success. That became a rage on social media and in the Asia Cup final, Nazmul Islam gave a glimpse of Naagin dance after scalping an Indian wicket. The celebrations, however, did not last till the end.
Coming into the tournament after a disastrous outing in England, India opener, Shikhar Dhawan, made the most of the opportunities and was adjudged the Man of the tournament.
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