Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s brilliant cameo helped Bangladesh win an unlikely match against India in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday, December 4.
The competition between the two Asian rivals proved to be fascinating, with its ups and downs.
The Bangladeshi bowlers kept the Indian batsmen at bay and quickly reduced them to 49/3 after putting India in to bat first.KL Rahul then made a comeback with Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar to lead India to 152/4.
India was then in chaos at 156/8 due to a collapse. India was bowled out for 186 in 41.2 overs, but Rahul persevered and was eventually dismissed as well. Shakib Al Hasan scored his fourth ODI five-fer, scoring a solid 70-ball 73, while Rahul scored it.
With only 92 runs remaining and as many as seven wickets remaining, the hosts were on their way to victory at 95/3. However, their own batting collapse caused them to lose six wickets in just 41 runs.
Mehidy Hasan won the match with 38 runs off 39 balls, and India was on the verge of a remarkable victory when he took the game away from them and led his team to victory.
In light of this, let’s talk about the top three reasons why India lost Sunday’s first ODI against Bangladesh.
#3 Not taking chances on the field
Team India is no longer considered one of the best fielding teams in the world. The Indian team’s fielding efforts left a lot to be desired, with the exception of Virat Kohli’s blinder of a catch in the 24th over that resulted in Shakib Al Hasan’s dismissal.
India’s ground fielding was not particularly good, misfielding several times and allowing the Tigers to score easily. However, India’s designated wicketkeeper of the game, KL Rahul, dropped Mehidy Hasan in the 43rd over, dealing the fatal blow.
Rahul circled himself under the ball after covering a few yards backward and dropped what should have been a simple catch despite having both hands on it.
Mehidy Hasan got another break on the next ball when his slog bounced just ahead of Washington Sundar at third man. The all-rounder was able to get under the ball after it briefly flew into the air, but he stopped in his tracks.
Sundar might not have caught the ball in the night sky, but if he had, it might have been Mehidy Hasan’s downfall.
#2 Poor bowling at the end
Despite having only 187 runs to defend, Indian bowlers did an excellent job of halting the Bangladeshi innings from the beginning.
Mohammed Siraj bowled tight lines to send Anamul Haque packing before Deepak Chahar dismissed Najmul Shanto on the very first ball. Shakib and captain Litton Das had a 48-run partnership, but Bangladesh’s batting collapsed and they lost seven wickets in their next 62 runs.
When the hosts were 136-9, the game was almost over, but they still needed 51 runs in the final ten overs. India could have won the match with just one good shot. In any case, that tricky conveyance never appeared to be the Indian pacers wavered in the demise overs.
While Mehidy Hasan deserves credit for his vigor and composure, India’s bowlers also lacked proper planning and execution. They bowled a lot of deliveries in the middle of the field, which Mehidy Hasan promptly hit behind the square.
All three of them—Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, and Shardul Thakur—were unable to devise a plan to secure that final wicket after Siraj had completed his allotted number of overs.
India’s bowling kept them in the game for the first 40 overs, but their performance in the final 10 overs was subpar, to say the least.
#1 Poor execution by the batting department
Given that India’s batting is stronger than their bowling, the Indian batting department had a bad day in Dhaka.
India lost their entire top order in the first 11 overs after being put in to bat first on a surface where the ball was hitting the bat well. The Bangla spinners fooled all three experienced batters, including Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli.
Then came India’s best ODI batter, Shreyas Iyer. During his 39-ball stay, Iyer looked positive, but his nemesis, a short-pitched delivery, ended his innings. India’s four all-rounders also failed to properly approach the game and missed opportunities.
India’s only shining knight was KL Rahul. Things could have been even worse for Rohit and co. if he hadn’t been there to lead a recovery with his well-made 73.