India silence nagging Bangladesh

The Adelaide Oval wasn’t for the faint-hearted on Wednesday night, and many in the 29,302-strong crowd were precisely that, fearing the worst when Litton Das launched a savage assault.

Games of cricket, even in the shortest international format, are won by teams that hold their nerve when the going gets tough, and who knows what it takes to clinch the crucial moments. India, under the pump early in the Bangladesh chase, did precisely that to squeeze out a thrilling five-run win on the DLS Method, staying on course for a slot in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.

A timely return to sublime run-making ways of KL Rahul, Virat Kohli’s continuing purple patch and another cameo from the audacious Suryakumar Yadav helped India make light of a stuttering start in taxing batting conditions and post 184 for six on being put in.

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Taskin Ahmed was practically unplayable during an unchanged new-ball burst of 4-0-15-0, but as the going got slightly less tricky, India unleashed the full fury of their batting to amass 98 runs in the final ten overs.

For seven overs of the Bangladeshi chase, that total looked positively gettable with Litton teeing off uninhibitedly. Caught on the bounce by Dinesh Karthik and spilled again by the keeper diving to his right inside the first three overs, Litton punished India with a series of jaw-dropping strokes, crunching to 50 off 21 deliveries and threatening to make this one-way traffic.

If India were looking for a lifeline, it came in the form of the weather. A sharp spell of rain brought play to a temporary halt with Bangladesh on 66 without loss in seven overs. For a while, it seemed as if that would be it, Bangladesh 17 ahead on the DLS charts, but the ground staff did a brilliant job to get the game started 52 minutes later, with only four overs lost. Bangladesh’s revised target was 151 from 16 overs; they needed 85 more from 54 deliveries with all ten wickets standing.

Off the second ball on resumption, Rahul scored a direct hit, having made good ground from deep mid-wicket, to catch Litton short of his ground. India needed that spark of inspiration, after which they were all over Bangladesh like a bad rash. As India piled on the pressure, Bangladesh pressed the panic button, attempting outlandish strokes without getting their eye in.

Litton’s run out sparked a mad collapse of six for 40 from 34 deliveries, and even though Nurul Hasan and Taskin hit out boldly, Arshdeep defended 20 runs in the final over successfully as Bangladesh ended up on 145 for six, courting familiar heartbreak against India.

India started fitfully in the evening, shackled by the liberal seam movement with the new ball. Rohit Sharma perished early as India’s opening woes continued, but after a sedate start, Rahul found release with a giant blow over square-leg off Shoriful Islam and an outrageous six over cover off Hasan Mahmud. As he slipped into overdrive, Kohli reined himself in, watching in appreciation as his vice-captain showed the world what he is capable of when unshackled by self-doubt.

Rahul fell a ball after bringing up his fifty, and Suryakumar breezed in to further thrill the audience. Dropped by Mustafizur Rahman – one of two catches Bangladesh spilled, in direct contrast to India who gobbled up everything that came their way – on 11, he punished Bangladesh for their largesse until one adventurous stroke too many cost him his wicket.

That was the cue for Kohli to reassert his supremacy. Boundaries came in a torrent, the shot of the night a searing six over long-on off Shariful; others around him were emboldened to play their strokes knowing the rock would hold firm, and even though India lost wickets, they scored at a frenetic pace. Four of the last five overs were sent down by Mahmud and Shariful with Shakib bowling out his experienced bowlers and India cashed in with 54 off the last 30 deliveries.