BAN vs IND: 1st ODI Review – Mehidy Hasan scripts memorable one-wicket win for Bangladesh

Bangladesh, once again, proved why they are a deadly side playing at home when they took on India in the first match of the three-match ODI series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on December 4, Sunday. Though India dominates the head-to-head record in ODIs, Bangladesh left no pages unturned as they claimed a remarkable win to take an early 1-0 lead.

Stand-in Bangladesh skipper Litton Das won the toss and put India to bat first. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were back as the opening pair, but while the team expected them to go big, India’s top order suffered a terrible collapse when even the in-form Virat Kohli was dismissed cheaply, scoring just nine runs off 15 deliveries.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz got Bangladesh the first breakthrough by taking down Dhawan, but it was Shakib al Hasan who handed India a major blow by sending Rohit Sharma and Kohli packing in the 11th over. Bangladesh bowlers took time to get the fourth wicket in their bag, but Indian batters failed to leave an impact as only KL Rahul, who batted in the middle order managed to put up a good score.

Bangladesh bowlers dominated the first innings, especially Shakib and Ebadot Hossain. While Shakib claimed a five-wicket haul (5/36 in 10 overs), Ebadot ended up with four wickets to his name (4/47 in 8.2 overs) as the duo stormed through India’s batting lineup and wreaked havoc on the field. Thanks to their heroics, the Men in Blue were dished out for a below-par total of 186 runs in 41.2 overs.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz rides on India’s blunders

It was a tricky pitch because things transpired in a way no one had expected. Just when it looked like a one-sided game after Bangladesh’s dominance in the first innings, Indian bowlers put up a remarkable show to pose a threat. Deepak Chahar dismissed opening batter Najmul Hossain Shanto on the very first delivery of the second innings and handed a major blow to the hosts.

Litton Das and Anamul Haque struggled to get going, and the latter’s wicket added to Bangladesh’s misery. It was then the composed 48-run partnership between Shakib and Das, for the third wicket, that kept Bangladesh’s boat afloat. Das’ dismissal off Washington Sundar’s delivery after a 63-ball 41 brought Mushfiqur Rahim into the game, but the middle-order batters could not leave an impact.

Indian bowlers got their side back on track after a poor show in the first innings and kept picking wickets at regular intervals to restrict the hosts from going big. And then came a point when Bangladesh had gone more than 100 balls without scoring a boundary. Debutant Kuldeep Sen had a great outing as he scalped two wickets to keep India’s celebrations going. Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Deepak Chahar, all did really well but could not handle the pressure when it was required the most.

All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz (38* off 39), with the help of Bangladesh’s tailenders, pulled off a miracle and turned the tables around, quite literally. Mistakes by Indian fielders added to Bangladesh’s cause as the batters kept getting opportunities, at a time when India needed just one wicket to win.

But as the saying goes, fortune favors the braves. After picking up the ninth wicket in the 40th over, Indian bowlers failed to pick that final wicket, the last standing batters rode on India’s blunders while showcasing grit and determination, and as a result, the hosts clinched an astounding victory