A captain’s knock by Rohit Sharma after a four-wicket haul by Ravindra Jadeja has fired India to an easy seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh who were blighted by another batting debacle in their first Super Four match of the Asia Cup.
The Tigers were all out for 173 and opener Rohit carried India through to the victory with an unbeaten 83 with 82 balls remaining in Dubai on Friday.
The India skipper, who smashed his second consecutive half-century, and the opening partner Shikhar Dhawan (40) were untroubled by Bangladesh bowlers until the latter attempted a sweep and was trapped in front by Shakib Al Hasan.
Rubel Hossain then ended a 45-run partnership for the second wicket when Ambati Rayudu (13) got an inside edge.
MS Dhoni (33) fell trying to finish the game in style - caught at deep cover off Mashrafe Bin Mortaza - with India just four shy of the target.
Bangladesh were in danger of being bowled out inside 40 overs having been 65 for 5 at one stage.
But youngster Mehidy Hasan Miraz joined Mashrafe (26) lower in the order to resurrect the innings. They put an invaluable 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket to give the bowlers something to bowl at.
Miraz counter-attacked at one end to top-score with 42 after the other batsmen failed to rotate strike and take singles. The Tigers made no runs off as many as 189 deliveries – which constitute 31.3 overs - and it cost them dearly.
Pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets apiece as the batsmen imploded once again after the no-show against Afghanistan the previous day.
Shakib hit Jadeja for a couple of boundaries after he was brought into the attack in the 10th over but got carried away and became the left-arm spinner's first scalp.
He swept a length ball outside off straight into the hands of square leg and leave his team were wobbling at 42 for three.
The Tigers were already in a spot of bother after losing openers Liton Das (7) and Nazmul Hossain Shanto (7).
Liton gave away his wicket in the fifth over when he was late into a pull and top-edged a Bhuvneshwar delivery at deep backward square leg where Kedar Jadhav took a brilliant catch.
Shanto, who made 7 on his international bow against Afghanistan on Thursday, again failed to do justice to his spot as Tamim Iqbal’s replacement.
In the sixth over, he chased a widish Bumrah delivery outside off and edged it wide to first slip where Dhawan took it on the second attempt.
All hopes rested on Sri Lanka game centurion Mushfiqur Rahim who was rested for the group match against Afghanistan, but he became Jadeja’s third scalp thanks to a moment of madness.
Having narrowly survived a stumping review in the previous over, he went for what appeared to be a pre-meditated reverse sweep and hit the ball straight to Yuzvendra Chahal at short third man. His dismissal for 21 saw Bangladesh slip to 65 for 5 in 18 overs.
Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain then began rearguard effort with a 36-run stand.
But Mahmudullah (25), the last specialist batsman, suffered an unfortunate dismissal when he inside-edged a Bhuvneshwar delivery onto his pad and was adjudged lbw by the upmire. But he could not ask for a review as Bangladesh had none left.
Miraz and Mashrafe came to the rescue with a spirited fightback after Jadeja struck again to remove Mosaddek Hossain and reduce Bangladesh to 101 for 7.
Mashrafe and Miraz both hit two sixes each to give the team total some respectability before the innings ended with five alls remaining, bdnews24 reported.
A day after Rashid Khan’s all-round performance earned them a huge 136-run victory against Bangladesh, Afghanistan lost to Pakistan by three wickets in the other Super Four match in Abu Dhabi.
The changed fixture has drawn flak from Bangladesh in particular as they travelled 140 kilometres from Abu Dhabi to face India only a day after the thrashing by Afghanistan.