Dhaka: Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman held their nerve to stitch an unbeaten last-wicket stand of 51 off 41 balls to stun India and help Bangladesh win by one wicket in their ODI series opener at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Sunday.
In a match that ebbed and flowed all the time, Bangladesh seemed to be on their way to chasing 187 after Shakib Al Hasan’s fifer and Ebadot Hossain’s four-fer bowled out India for a paltry 186 in 41.2 overs. But the Indian bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar, did well as Bangladesh collapsed from 95/3 to 136/9 in 39.3 overs.
With the hosts’ looking down and out, the result seemed a foregone conclusion. But Mehidy had other ideas — slicing short balls from debutant Kuldeep Sen over the third man for a brace of sixes in the 41st over. He had luck on his side in the next over as K.L Rahul dropped his catch at 15 off Shardul Thakur and Sundar did not go for a catch at third man on the very next ball.
Deepak Chahar’s introduction in the 44th over did not change India’s fortunes as Mehidy scooped past the keeper and flayed over point to hit back-to-back boundaries. India had fielding lapses in the last two balls as they conceded an extra run to make it a brace and a misfield by Sundar at the deep gave Mehidy a boundary.
Mustafizur, who was off the mark with a punch through off-side, glanced Thakur through fine-leg for four in the 45th over as the equation for the win came down to 10. Mehidy took Bangladesh to striking distance of a victory by slicing a short ball from Chahar in the 46th over past the third man.
A no-ball while taking a single and a tight run later, Mehidy finished off the chase with a punch through cover on the last ball of the over to give Bangladesh an unforgettable come-from-behind win, being unbeaten at 38, with Mustafizur being 10 not out as India wilted under pressure in the last six overs.
Brief scores: India 186 all out in 41.2 overs (K.L Rahul 73, Rohit Sharma 27; Shakib Al Hasan 5-36, Ebadot Hossain 4-47) lost to Bangladesh 187/9 in 46 overs (Litton Das 41, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 38 not out; Mohammed Siraj 3-32, Washington Sundar 2-17) by one wicket
–IANS