Despite its stuttering batting and a partisan crowd in Dubai that cheered Bangladesh on, India maintained its status as the superior team in the tournament with a 41-run win to seal its place in the final of the Asia Cup on Wednesday.
Bangladesh’s batting had a spark of magnificence in Saif Hassan, but lacked a concerted effort that could burn through the 169-run target against a well-rounded Indian attack.
Saif made a fist of it, helped by four reprieves, and reached a half-century off 36 balls with a six down the ground off Axar Patel. Saif has a penchant for playing straight, and he showed that when he launched a back-of-a-length delivery outside off over long-on in the same over. Interestingly, all his five sixes came down the ground.
However, his dismissal also came in that region when he slapped the ball over Jasprit Bumrah’s head, and Axar held on to a catch after a fumble, denying Saif a fifth lease of life.
Bangladesh’s Saif Hassan (L) got four reprieves but he fell short of partners in Bangladesh’s chase of 169 runs.
| Photo Credit:
AFP
Bangladesh’s Saif Hassan (L) got four reprieves but he fell short of partners in Bangladesh’s chase of 169 runs.
| Photo Credit:
AFP
Kuldeep Yadav dashed Bangladesh’s hopes in the previous over by removing Rishad Hossain and Tanzim Hasan Sakib off successive balls.
Barring Saif and Parvez Hossain Emon, who swept Varun Chakaravarthy for consecutive fours, no other batter could score in double-digits as Bangladesh lost its last eight wickets for 62 runs.
But it wasn’t smooth sailing for India in the first half, after Bangladesh elected to bowl. The opposition’s variety of spin options forced India to shuffle its batting order, and a collapse followed, with Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma falling for single-digit scores during a phase that saw the side lose four wickets for 46 runs.
Hardik Pandya tried to give the flailing innings a facelift with some exquisite boundaries through the off-side, but a well-planned four-run final over from Mohammad Saifuddin averted a final flourish.
In fact, the last five overs yielded only 36 runs, with Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Saifuddin offering the batters minimal pace to work with, while steering clear from their hitting arc. As many as 15 off the last 30 deliveries pitched in the back-of-a-length/length area, and India could only score 13 runs from them.
On the rare occasion when the bowlers erred on the fuller side, Hardik latched onto them, going deep in his crease before transferring his body weight into the shot to give the ball a whack.
India’s Kuldeep Yadav (C) ended with figures three for 18 and was crucial in deflating Bangladesh’s chase through the middle overs.
| Photo Credit:
AFP
India’s Kuldeep Yadav (C) ended with figures three for 18 and was crucial in deflating Bangladesh’s chase through the middle overs.
| Photo Credit:
AFP
It was a familiar sight, for Abhishek Sharma also served up a tantalising display of strokes through the off-side earlier in the innings. It wasn’t the typical free-flowing start for the bruising left-hander, who was also dropped on 7 by the wicketkeeper Jaker Ali. However, he found his groove after three overs and exploded in the final over of the PowerPlay, maximising the fielding restrictions with four fours off Saifuddin’s first over.
With a deep backward square-leg and deep midwicket stationed on the boundary, Abhishek danced down the pitch to make room on the off-side when the ball was on leg-stump line, and slapped and cut the shorter stuff through point and cover.
Gill preferred taking a straighter route, carting left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed for a four and a six over mid-on, but then perished trying to clear long-off right after the PowerPlay. Dube’s left-handedness was deemed an antidote to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and Nasum, but he ironically miscued a googly straight to long-off.
In the matter of an over, India’s destiny flipped. Abhishek was run out thanks to a stunning stop and an electric pick-up-and-throw at backward point before Suryakumar’s indifferent form continued when he was strangled down leg-side by Mustafizur’s slower delivery.
Tilak was also deceived by a pace-off delivery when he holed out at deep midwicket. With a left-arm spinner and a leg-break bowler operating, Axar was sent ahead of Sanju Samson, but the move didn’t pay off as the left-hander scratched around for a 15-ball 10.
Yet, it proved to be another day when India’s imperfections were still too good for the opposition.
Published on Sep 24, 2025