DUBAI: India retained the Asia Cup in Dubai on Friday with a three-wicket win off the last ball against a fighting Bangladesh, who were anchored by a maiden hundred from opener Liton Das.

India made heavy weather of a modest 223-run target as Bangladesh fought for every run before the title holders achieved victory off the last ball, watched by a capacity 25,000 holiday crowd.

Das held the innings together during his 117-ball 121, which featured 12 boundaries and two sixes, but Bangladesh, who were put into bat, were all out in 48.3 overs despite an opening stand of 120 with Mehidy Hasan.

With their settled opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, India were expected to run away with victory, like they did in the previous matches, but Bangladesh were not ready to give up without a fight.

Dhawan was dismissed for 15 and Sharma for a punishing 55-ball 48, studded with three sixes and as many boundaries.

Dinesh Karthik (37) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36) added 54 for the fourth wicket, but once both were dismissed Bangladesh looked like pulling off an upset.

Ravindra Jadeja (23) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (21) brought the target within India’s reach through a 45-run stand for the sixth wicket, but Bangladesh removed them both with eight runs still needed.

India then required six off the last over and one off the final delivery, which came as a leg-bye. Kedar Jadhav finished with 23 not out.

Earlier Bangladesh lost all their wickets for 102 runs in a major middle order collapse after a brisk opening stand of 120.

Hasan was promoted to open the innings and he and Das attacked India’s pace-cum spin attack.

But once Hasan was caught off Jadhav in the 21st over the innings collapsed, with Bangladesh losing four more wickets by the time the score reached 151.

Scoreboard

India

R. Sharma c Islam b Rubel 48
S. Dhawan c Sarkar b Islam 15
A. Rayudu c Rahim b Mortaza 2
D. Karthik lbw b Riyad 37
M. Dhoni c Rahim b Mustafiz 36
K. Jadhav not out 23
R. Jadeja c Rahim b Rubel 23
B. Kumar c Rahim b Mustafiz 21
K. Yadav not out 5

Extras: (b1, lb 7, w 5) 13

Total: (for seven wkts; 50 overs) 223

Did not bat: J. Bumrah, Y. Chahal

Fall of wickets: 1-35 (Dhawan), 2-46 (Rayudu), 3-83 (Sharma), 4-137 (Karthik), 5-160 (Dhoni), 6-212 (Jadeja), 7-214 (Kumar)

Bowling: Mehidy 4-0-27-0, Mustafiz 10-0-38-2, Islam 10-0-56-1, Mortaza 10-0-35-1 (1w), Rubel 10-2-26-2, (1w), Riyad 6-0-33-1 (2w)

Note: K. Jadhav retired hurt at 167-5 with a pulled muscle and returned at 212-6.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2018