Cricket

New-look India blow away Bangladesh to take 1-0 lead

6 October, 2024

India 132 for 3 (Mehidy 35, Arshdeep 3-14, Varun 3-31) beat Bangladesh 127 (Hardik 39, Suryakumar 29, Samson 29, Mehidy 1-7) by seven wickets

A younger Indian aspect outgunned an skilled Bangladesh to begin off the three-T20I sequence. Two debutants of their XI, solely three males retained from the aspect that received the T20 World Cup earlier this yr, however India had been too good for Bangladesh, who wore the identical look of the aspect from the World Cup.

From the second they misplaced Litton Das to a slog within the first over, Bangladesh by no means actually regarded like that they had the batting for the Gwalior pitch with barely uneven bounce and an correct Indian assault. After Arshdeep Singh’s early strikes, Mayank Yadav began his worldwide profession with a maiden over earlier than the returning Varun Chakravarthy scythed by way of the center overs. Chasing a paltry 128, a dominant India bought dwelling with 49 balls to spare.

Arshdeep on the cash

Chief of the assault, quick approaching the highest of wickets chart for India, Arshdeep began on the cash with simply sufficient swing to maintain the younger Parvez Hossain Emon, one of many few new gamers tried by Bangladesh, trustworthy. Das then opened the face for a 4 first ball, which led to brief third going again and a fielder on the leg aspect developing. He regarded to play the sphere second ball solely to be defeated by the angle of it. In his second over, Arshdeep had Parvez, who had whipped Hardik Pandya for a six, enjoying on. Bangladesh 14 for two in 2.1 overs.

Tempo and thriller

Already behind the sport, the mixture of Mayank and Varun, excessive tempo and thriller spin, was hardly the best one to pressure the tempo towards. Bangladesh’s solely hope was ring rust: this was the primary time Mayank was enjoying any aggressive cricket since his damage throughout the IPL, and Varun was coming again to the India XI after three years. Neither of them was rusty.

Varun created a chance second ball, however the different debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy misplaced the ball within the floodlights of the debuting stadium in Gwalior. Mayank bowled the final over of the powerplay, turning into the third man to begin his India T20I profession with a maiden. The opposite two are the present chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, who has fast-tracked Mayank, and Arshdeep.

Quickly the duo was rewarded with a wicket every. Towhid Hridoy, the beneficiary of the sooner drop, pulled Varun straight to long-on, and Mahmudullah spooned Mayank to deep level. They actually did not have many choices however to play these low-percentage pictures because the runs had been hardly coming.

Varun continued to be incomprehensible, doing Jaker Ali in on the within edge and Rishad Hossain on the surface.

No kick on the loss of life

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was pressured to play the anchor function, however even he fell to the introduction of the offspin of Washington Sundar, who denied him room and had him caught and bowled. Mehidy hasan Miraz extended the innings, however there was no impression available towards the accuracy of Arshdeep, Pandya and Mayank on the loss of life.

Not one of the final seven overs yielded double figures because the wickets saved falling. Arshdeep ended the innings with the off and center stumps splayed with a pinpoint yorker. He’s now India’s fifth-most prolific T20I wicket-taker with 86 scalps, sizzling on the heels of the chief Yuzvendra Chahal at 96.

India finish it in a rush

The hosts weren’t going to be happy with only a win. They needed a giant win. Sanju Samson, with one other shot at opening the innings within the absence of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, bought off to an incredible begin with two boundaries pushed both aspect of the stumps on the non-striker’s finish. Abhishek Sharma was much less contact and extra energy as he took Taskin Ahmed down for a six and two fours within the second over. Virtually as if he was on an adrenalin rush, he ran himself out searching for a non-existent single.

India, although, continued to go away Bangladesh helpless. Samson saved driving down the bottom whereas Suryakumar Yadav manufactured pictures behind the wicket. The outcome was India’s finest powerplay towards Bangladesh in T20Is: 71, which is simply the fourth-highest they’ve conceded in powerplays. His dismissal within the ultimate over of the powerplay did not sluggish India down though Samson can be dissatisfied he fell to a hoick the primary ball of offspin he confronted. Each of them scored fast 29s.

Pandya, 39 off 16, continued to have his means with Bangladesh, topping the chase with a no-look ramp over the keeper’s head.

Sidharth Monga is a senior author at ESPNcricinfo