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Bangalore: Bangladesh needed just two runs in the final three balls, but did not manage to score a single, giving India a thrilling win in World Twenety20 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on Wednesday.
At the half-way point of Wednesday evening's match, you reckoned India's total of 146/7 was about par for the course, considering the sluggish nature of the track rolled out by the M Chinnaswamy Stadium curator.
There was turn, there were some skidding deliveries from the pace bowlers, especially those who could roll their fingers over the ball craftily, and India had R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to rely heavily on four eight overs.
Twenty overs later, India wrapped up victory by a single run in the most dramatic scenes. It speaks of the manner of Bangladesh's chase, as also the nature of the surface.
Batting wasn't easy, but the chasing team lacked the required application that could have thrown Group 2 of the Super 10s into a tizzy. It was close, so, so close.
Like India's, the Bangladesh batsman coughed and sputtered without entirely entering that zone from where they could shove India out of the match.
Five batsmen got starts, but four were dismissed between 22 and 35, which was the highest score of the match.
Bangladesh bowled and fielded very well to keep India to under 150, but this match was won by India in the field. The start wasn't very promising, for in the first over of the chase Ashish Nehra dropped a caught-and-bowled chance from Tamim Iqbal and Jasprit Bumrah let four through his fingers near the boundary.
Bumrah then dropped an easy catch at short fine leg when Tamim, on 15, top-edged a sweep off R Ashwin - the bowler who had struck in his first over by getting Mohammad Mithun heaving to deep midwicket. To make Bumrah's evening worse, Tamim cracked four fours in his second over.
The tone of the innings changed when Tamim, on 35, dashed out to Ravindra Jadeja and was stumped. Here on, Bangladesh unraveled with a slew of wickets.
The third ame via another brilliant stumping from MS Dhoni, with Sabbir Rahman (26 off 15 balls) losing balance as Suresh Raina fired on down the pads.
It took some deliberation from the third umpire to give it out, with one angle showing the batsman's back foot hovering in the air and the other indicating it may just have been grounded. But just. It was one of those margin calls where luck is a factor.
At this juncture, Bangladesh needed 78 from 64 balls. In walked the captain, Mashrafe Mortaza, who clubbed Raina for six but fell to Jadeja repeating the shot.
Shakib Al Hasan threatened to finish the match on his shoulders, striking some furious shots during his 15-ball 22, but Ashwin's return brought the desired result immediately, for Shakib punched to Raina at cover.
Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah put on 31 in 5.4 overs before the former fell with 21 needed from 13 balls.
Bumrah bowled a very fine penultimate over in which he conceded just six singles, and that left Pandya to defend 11.
The second ball was scythed by Mushfiqur Rahim past cover for four, meaning Bangladesh wanted six from four balls.
Another four sent Mushfiqur into a hop,skip and a jump, but there was a final twist. Off the fourth ball, he find deep midwicket. Off the fifth, Mahmudullah did the same.
One ball, two runs needed. Dhoni summoned his entire team for a huddle. Pandya took the ball and went to his mark. Nehra spent a moment with him, then asked Dhoni to adjust the field.
Midwicket went back, mid-off too. Pandya bowled it wide of off stump, Shuvagata Hom swung and missed and charged. Dhoni, brilliantly, collected the ball and hit the stumps with it in his hands. The stadium erupted. Dhoni celebrated. Pandya ran around the field all alone, berserk. It was incredible.
Brief scores
India - 146 for 7 (Raina 30, Rahman 2-34, Al-Amin 2-37)
Bangladesh - 145 for 9 (Tamim 35, Ashwin 2-20, Jadeja 2-22, Pandya 2-29)
Result - India won by 1 run
Points - India 2, Bangladesh 0
MOM - R Ashwin (India)
