Shubman Gill’s showmanship and Axar Patel’s pyrotechnics weren’t enough as Shakib Al Hasan’s stylish knock and Mustafizur Rahman’s deadly blow gave Bangladesh a consolation win over India to end its Asia Cup 2023 campaign on a high at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday night.
Shakib, the Bangladesh captain, and Towhid Hridoy rescued Bangladesh from a precarious 59/4 in the last of the Super Fours games with a 101-run association for the fifth wicket. Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan’s cameos at the death meant the Tigers put on a respectable 265 for eight.
India vs Bangladesh Asia Cup Super 4 Highlights
An India batting line-up without chase master Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, both rested, stuttered since Rohit Sharma’s dismissal for a duck.
Despite Shubman registering his fifth ODI hundred - fourth in 2023 - and Axar coming to the party towards the end, India was always behind the eight-ball.
With Axar, having injured his left hand twice while batting, and Shardul Thakur perishing in the penultimate over, India lost the last hope. Mohammed Shami’s run-out off the penultimate ball meant, Bangladesh clinched a thrilling six-run win.
Despite wickets falling regularly at the other end, Shubman kept India’s hopes alive with a sterling knock. Seldom did he appear in trouble, rotating the strike without any fuss and clearing the boundary with calculated risks. With 96 required off 74 balls, he was joined by Axar.
Ravindra Jadeja, having missed an audacious heave off Mustafizur, had perished and Axar preferred to give Shubman the strike. The opener cut loose thereafter but found long-off attempting to hit offie Mahedi.
With 57 required off 38 balls, India had to rely on the batting depth lent by Axar and Shardul Thakur to see it through. Axar was the wrecker in chief, waging long handle cautiously. His straight four followed by a six over long-on in the 48th over brought the equation down to 17 off 12.
But Mustafizur returned for an over to take the fizz out of India’s run-chase.
With the team having qualified for Sunday’s final, India preferred to rest five regulars and give the World Cup reserves and back-ups crucial game-time.
Kohli, Hardik, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj were rested. They were replaced with debutant Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shami, Shardul and Prasidh Krishna.
More than a stuttering chase, India will be rueing its poor catching. Just like the preliminary stage versus Nepal, India dropped three regulation catches early on.
Tilak (midwicket) and Suryakumar (second slip) gave Mehidy Hasan Miraz a reprieve each in the same over. K.L. Rahul then deprived Tilak of his first wicket, dropping Shakib.
That dropped catch proved to be the costliest. India will have to be mindful to not repeat sloppy catching in the final versus Sri Lanka on Sunday.
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