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The T20 series against Bangladesh was a testing ground for preparation of the Indian Cricket Team. The new approach has begun giving the results. If the Indian cricket team can produce such performances consistently, India will be a formidable opposition at the upcoming T20 world cup, reports Vijayhardik.
This Sunday at Nagpur, India and Bangladesh faced off in the decider of the T20 series. After the defeat at Delhi, India bounced back at Rajkot thanks to a stroke filled knock of 80 odd from stand-in captain Rohit Sharma and the Indian spinners keeping the opposition batsmen in check.
In the previous two games, the team winning the toss elected to field first and chase down the total to post a victory. Thus, going into the third and final match of the series the toss became a deciding factor.
In the previous two games, the team winning the toss elected to field first and chase down the total to post a victory. Thus, going into the third and final match of the series the toss became a deciding factor. Like in the first match at Delhi, Bangladesh won the toss and decided to field first. This was to give an advantage to their bowlers to bowl in the absence of dew.
After the scintillating knock in the previous game, Rohit Sharma fell early chopping an incoming delivery on to his leg stump. This resulted in India getting to slightly slow start. Fellow opening partner Shikhar Dhawan took charge of proceedings in the powerplay taking on the Bangladeshi bowling before getting out in the final over of the powerplay.
Couple of early wickets inside the first six overs made it mandatory for India to build a partnership to the lay the foundations for a strong finish to put on a above par total on board.
Couple of early wickets inside the first six overs made it mandatory for India to build a partnership to the lay the foundations for a strong finish to put on a above par total on board. Making another comeback KL Rahul along with the young Shreyas Iyer had to steady the rocky ship, that was called the Indian innings.
Both of them sent the Bangladeshi bowlers packing with their exquisite timing and power hitting. Rahul kept piercing the off-side field and kept finding the boundary at will. Be it a fast bowler or a spinner, none of them were spared. Rahul was the major run scorer in the partnership before he got caught trying loft one over the infield.
Shreyas, on the other hand, was busy punishing the spinners. He carted Bangladeshi spinner Afif Hossain for three continuous sixes down the ground and plundered 20 runs in an over providing the required impetus to the Indian innings in the final overs.
Shreyas, on the other hand, was busy punishing the spinners. He carted Bangladeshi spinner Afif Hossain for three continuous sixes down the ground and plundered 20 runs in an over providing the required impetus to the Indian innings in the final overs. He scored his maiden T2o international half-century while carting the ball over the boundary line. He got out trying to up the ante for a well-made 62 off just 33 balls.
The batsmen who followed him did not let momentum slide. Manish Pandey with his quickfire 22 in the company of Dube took India to a comfortable 174 in the stipulated 20 overs.
Chasing down 175 on a big ground like Nagpur was never going to be an easy task. With the dew settling in as the night progressed, both India and Bangladesh had their task cut out.
Since the last IPL, Chahar known for his ability to swing the ball was used mostly in the powerplays.
Since the last IPL, Chahar known for his ability to swing the ball was used mostly in the powerplays. Even after donning the India jersey, he was used upfront in the innings completing three overs out a quota of four within the powerplay.
However, the composition India went in to play with in the third T20 did not allow him to play the familiar role. He was given only a single over to bowl inside the powerplay. He rose to the occasion in a brilliant manner. In the solitary over he bowled, he picked up two wickets in two balls and left Bangladesh reeling. They had lost two wickets for just 12 runs on board.
From there on, the Bangladeshi pair Mohammad Naim and Mohammad Mithun held the Bangladesh innings together.
From there on, the Bangladeshi pair Mohammad Naim and Mohammad Mithun held the Bangladesh innings together. India’s lead spinner in the team, Chahal introduced within the powerplay was hit by Naim for sixes over his head.
Naim even the field restrictions were over kept up the ante and was scoring runs at a quick pace and keeping up with the asking rate. With 69 runs required off 48 balls with 8 wickets remaining, the scales were tilted heavily in favour of Bangladesh. Then Chahar came back to bowl. Immediately, he induced a false shot from Mithun and had him caught out at long off. This broke the partnership that was threatening to take the game away from India.
After the breakthrough, skipper Rohit Sharma brought on Shivam Dube to bowl. He had been taken for runs in his previous two overs. But on the first ball of his third over, in a fortuitous stroke of luck, Mushfiqur Rahim, the most experienced Bangladeshi batsmen played an incoming delivery onto his stumps on the first delivery he faced.
India was slowly clawing its way back into the match. Wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Even with Naim at the crease the run chase was getting difficult.
India was slowly clawing its way back into the match. Wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Even with Naim at the crease the run chase was getting difficult. In Dube’s next over, trying to get on with the game Naim tried taking risks. On one such attempt, trying to create room to manufacture a shot, he got yorked and the off stump went cartwheeling. On the very next delivery, he bounced out Afif Hossain leaving Bangladesh tottering.
From then on, it was Bangladesh just trying hard to avoid defeat. With Chahal cleaning up Mahmudullah the last recognised batsmen, the fate of the match was sealed. Chahar came back once again to make his presence felt in the match. On the last ball of the 18th over he picked up Bangladesh’s eighth wicket and his fourth in the match.
He came back to bowl the last over of the match. He had Mustafizur hole out in the deep and claimed his second wicket in two balls. The first one on the last delivery of his previous over. The second on the first ball of the current over. It was the second time during the match that he was on a hat-trick.
The ball decided the series in favour of India. Apart from the obvious, it catapulted Deepak Chahar into history books.
On the ball that could seal the match and his chance of getting into record books,
he bowled one full and fast at the base of the stumps. The batsmen missed the ball and ball hit the stumps. The ball decided the series in favour of India. Apart from the obvious, it catapulted Deepak Chahar into history books.
The hat-trick by Deepak Chahar is the first instance of an Indian bowler taking a hat-trick in T20’s in the international arena. He also ended up with best figures by a bowler in the history of T20 cricket with a spell of 3.2-0-7-6.
All in all, the young guns of the Indian cricket team rose to the occasion and gave the first glimpse of vindication of the change in policy of selection and management India adopted towards the T20 format.
All in all, the young guns of the Indian cricket team rose to the occasion and gave the first glimpse of vindication of the change in policy of selection and management India adopted towards the T20 format. If the team ring in such performances consistently, the Indian team can be a formidable opposition at the upcoming T20 world cup.
Photos sourced by the author
