DUBAI: Spinner Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets and skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a successive half century to help India rout Bangladesh by seven wickets in their Asia Cup Super Four match in Dubai on Friday.
Jadeja finished with four for 29 to wreck Bangladesh to 173 all out in 49.1 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Sharma then launched another assault on the bowlers during his 104-ball unbeaten knock which was studded with three sixes and five boundaries as India chased down the target in 36.2 overs.
Sharma put on 61 for the opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan (47-ball 40 with a six and four boundaries) before easing towards the target with another 64-run stand for the third with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who made 33.
It was another comfortable victory for the title holders who eased through their big match against Pakistan by eight wickets on Wednesday.
Sharma was all praised for his bowlers. “We bowled very well and we always knew it was going to be better batting under the lights. Once you’re in, you got to make sure you bat as long and as deep as possible.”
Jadeja, playing his first ODI for over a year, was at his best after India sent Bangladesh into bat on a flat pitch.
He only came into the squad as a replacement for all-rounder Hardik Pandya who was ruled out of the tournament with a back injury.
Pacemen Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-32) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-37) were also ruthless as Bangladeshi batting couldn’t get going with tail-ender Mehedi Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 42 with two sixes and two boundaries.
Bangladesh, who were bowled out for a mere 119 against Afghanistan on Thursday, were once again off to a disastrous start during which they lost half the side for just 65 runs.
Mushfiqur Rahman, who scored a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka, managed 21 while star batsman Shakib Al Hasan failed yet again with 17.
It could have been worse had Mehedi not put on a fighting 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Mashrafe Mortaza who made 26 with two sixes.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH:
Liton Das c Jadhav b Kumar 7
Nazmul Hossain c Dhawan b Bumrah 7
Shakib Al Hasan c Dhawan b Jadeja 17
Mushfiqur Rahim c Chahal b Jadeja 21
Mohammad Mithun lbw b Jadeja 9
Mahmudullah lbw b Kumar 25
Mosaddek Hossain c Dhoni b Jadeja 12
Mashrafe Mortaza c Bumrah b Kumar 26
Mehedi Hasan c Dhawan b Bumrah 42
Mustafizur Rahman c Dhawan b Bumrah 3
Rubel Hossain not out 1
EXTRAS (B-1, W-1, NB-1) 3
TOTAL (all out, 49.1 overs) 173
FALL OF WKTS: 1-15, 2-16, 3-42, 4-60, 5-65, 6-101, 7-101, 8-167, 9-169.
BOWLING: Kumar 10-1-32-3 (1w); Bumrah 9.1-1-37-3; Chahal 10-0-40-0; Jadeja 10-0-29-4 (1nb); Kuldeep Yadav 10-0-34-0.
INDIA:
R.G. Sharma not out 83
S. Dhawan lbw b Shakib 40
A.T. Rayudu c Mushfiqur b Rubel 13
M.S. Dhoni c Mithun b Mashrafe 33
K.D. Karthik not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1, NB-2) 4
TOTAL (for three wkts, 36.2 overs) 174
FALL OF WKTS: 1-61, 2-106, 3-170.
DID NOT BAT: K.M. Jadhav, R.A. Jadeja, B. Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Y.S. Chahal, J.J. Bumrah.
BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 5-0-30-1 (1nb, 1w); Mehedi Hasan 10-0-38-0; Mustafizur Rahman 7-0-40-0 (1w); Shakib Al Hasan 9.2-0-44-1; Rubel Hossain 5-0-21-1.
RESULT: India won by seven wickets.
UMPIRES: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan) and G.O. Brathwaite (West Indies).
TV UMPIRE: M. Erasmus (South Africa).
MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ravindra Jadeja.
Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2018
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