India continued their dominant run in the T20 World Cup with a convincing 50-run victory over Bangladesh on Saturday in Antigua. This win keeps them undefeated in the tournament so far. (Highlights | Cricket News)
The match began with Bangladesh winning the toss and opting to bowl first, a decision that pleased Rohit Sharma as he had wanted India to bat first anyway. His satisfaction was justified when India posted a strong total of 196 for five against Bangladesh.
India's batting started with their go to opening pair - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the pair, got off to a promising start, finding the boundary rope on a few occasions. This was exactly what the Indian fans were yearning for, particularly from Kohli, who had been struggling for form throughout the group stage.
However, their joy was short-lived as both openers were dismissed by the Bangladeshi bowlers, leaving India with some work to do in the middle overs.
Later, power hitters Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya took center stage.
The true hero of the Indian innings was Hardik Pandya. His explosive batting (50 not out off just 27 balls) provided the final flourish, propelling India close to the 200-run mark. He even completed his fifty with a bang, hitting a boundary on the last ball of the innings.
Hardik ended the innings with four boundaries and three sixes while Dube targeted the deep midwicket boundary against the spinners with success, besides hitting Tanzim down the ground for a maximum.
Chasing a target of 197, Bangladesh's batsmen were left flustered by the brilliance of Kuldeep Yadav's left-arm wrist spin. He ripped through the batting order, claiming 3 crucial wickets for a mere 19 runs in his 4 overs. Only skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (40 runs off 32 balls) managed to show some resistance amidst the collapse.
Hardik Pandya chipped in with a wicket, showcasing his all-around abilities. Jasprit Bumrah, conceded just 13 runs in his 4 overs, picking up 2 wickets. Bangladesh's innings ended at a disappointing 146 for 8 wickets, handing India a convincing 50-run victory.
Hardik was named as player of the match.
The Indian batting unit also etched their name in a few unexpected records! Here's a breakdown of their remarkable feats-
196/5: This score becomes India's third-highest total in T20 World Cup history, showcasing their dominant batting display.
Highest T20I score in North Sound: India set a new benchmark for the highest total ever recorded in a T20 International match played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound.
13 Sixes - A New Peak: The Indian batsmen unleashed a barrage of sixes, smashing a record 13 in total. This surpasses their previous best of 11 sixes hit against England in Durban during the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Brief Scores:
India 196/5 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 50 not out, Shivam Dube 34, Rishabh Pant 36, Virat Kohli 37; T H Sakib 2/32).
Bangladesh 146/8 in 20 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 40, Kuldeep Yadav 3/19, Jasprit Bumrah 2/13).
