Rohit, Nehra Steers India to Big Win

Dhaka: Rohit brought up his 10th T20I half-century, and Nehra ended with 3 for 23 to give India a 45-run win over Bangladesh in Asia Cup opener in Mirpur on Wednesday.

At the half-way mark of their respective innings, India and Bangladesh were going neck and neck. India were 52/3, while Bangladesh were just two runs behind for the same number of wickets. The difference between the two sides turned out to be the final ten overs.

While India scored 114 in those with two fifty-plus stands and one Rohit Sharma holding the innings together, Bangladesh had none of that, and eventually went down by 45 runs to get India off the mark in the Asia Cup, ticking one more box in their preparations for the World T20.

Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah set the stage with a good first three-over spells where they removed both Bangladesh openers.

They had just put up nine runs on the board before Mohammad Mithun and Soumya Sarkar departed in successive overs.

All of a sudden, with Bumrah and Nehra operating, it's become a fascinating trait to watch. They tried to rally with Sabbir and Imrul Kayes, but the more they blocked only spiked the asking rate. Nehra's economical spell saw him finish with 3 for 23.

The pressure mounted and it showed. Kayes was picked up at the deep backward square by Yuvraj and Shakib was unceremoniously run out. Pandya hammered the final nail with the wicket of Sabbir and that was it.

With slight drizzle possibly threatening to halt the game, Dhoni brought back Nehra to wrap up the innings. He replied splendidly with wickets off back-to-back deliveries. One of Bangladesh's premier batsmen in Mahmudullah held out to deep midwicket to a wild hoick and Mashrafe Mortaza lobbed a regulation catch to Jadeja. To sum up, it was a Rohit-like innings that eluded Bangladesh a win.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma made a fabulous half-century as India overcame a shaky start to post 166-6.

Rohit hit 83 off 55 balls after Bangladesh, opting to bowl first on a rain-soaked pitch, made good use of the conditions to put India in trouble at a packed Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Al Amin Hossain bowled opener Shikhar Dhawan for two before skipper Mortaza got rid of in-form Virat Kohli, who offered an easy catch to Mahmudullah at mid off for eight, to provide the initial jolt.

With the first six overs yielding just 31 runs, India began to feel the pressure once Mahmudullah bowled Suresh Raina for 13 to leave the visitors struggling at 42-3.

Sharma and Yuvraj Singh steadied the innings with a 55-run fourth wicket partnership before Hardik Pandya, who scored 31 off 18 balls, joined the opener to provide India much-needed impetus.

Sharma was dropped by Shakib on 21 off Taskin Ahmed and he promptly made Bangladesh pay dearly as he hit two fours and a six in the next three balls of the over.

He struck seven fours and three sixes for his 10th half-century in a Twenty20 international.

Sharma and Pandya had their work cut out against Bangladesh's star left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman, picking 21 runs off his third over and keeping him wicket-less in the match

Al-Amin dismissed both Sharma and Pandya in the final over to finish with 3-37.

Brief scores
India - 166 for 6 (Rohit 83, Pandya 31, Al-Amin Hossain 3-37)
Bangladesh - 121 for 7 (Sabbir Rahman 44, Nehra 3-23)
Result - India won by 45 runs
Points - India 2, Bangladesh 0
MOM - Rohit Sharma (India)