In a gripping cricket encounter on October 19th, Bangladesh’s openers, Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das, got off to a spectacular start, posting 93 runs for the opening wicket against India. However, the team struggled to maintain momentum and concluded their innings with a par score of 256/8. Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan played brilliantly, but their contributions were somewhat overshadowed by a powerful comeback from the Indian bowlers.
The powerplay phase saw a cautious start from Bangladesh, as they faced a formidable Indian bowling attack, including Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj. After the first five overs yielded only 10 runs, Litton Das changed the game’s dynamics by capitalizing on short deliveries. Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das picked up the pace, with Tanzid even hitting Bumrah for a six.
Hardik Pandya, introduced into the attack, briefly troubled Bangladesh with successive boundaries before an unfortunate injury to his left ankle forced him to leave the field. Bangladesh, recognizing India’s reduced bowling options, targeted Shardul Thakur and Tanzid Hasan effectively took 16 runs off his first over.
From 10/0 in the powerplay, Bangladesh surged to 63/0. The openers continued to exploit the bowling, but their partnership was disrupted when Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Tanzid, who had just reached his maiden half-century in international cricket. Captain Najmul Shanto, standing in for the injured Shakib Al Hasan, faced a tough time before being dismissed lbw by Ravindra Jadeja.
Litton Das, holding the key wicket, lost his wicket at a crucial juncture. From 93/0, Bangladesh’s score slid to 137/4. India bowled tight overs in the middle phase, keeping the game in their favor. To post a competitive total, Bangladesh relied heavily on the experienced duo of Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim. While Rahim kept the scoreboard ticking, India made a significant breakthrough as Jadeja took a stunning catch to dismiss him.
Mahmudullah’s late boundaries in the final five overs against India’s pace attack pushed Bangladesh to a respectable total. Nevertheless, India remains confident in maintaining their unbeaten record in the tournament. The match promises to be an exciting contest between the two cricketing giants.
