Virender Sehwag was far removed from diplomacy – some might say even tact. Sehwag was India’s stand-in captain for the first of two Tests against Bangladesh in Chittagong in January 2010, and dismissed his opponents as an ‘ordinary side’ at the pre-match press conference.
“They can’t beat India because they can’t take 20 wickets,” he threw in, for good measure, incensing the local media as much as the opposition players. India were true to their substitute skipper’s words, cruising to a 113-run victory after declaring their second innings closed at eight wickets down, but Sehwag’s inadvertent assertion had sowed the first seeds of needle.
That escalated five years later, at the 50-over World Cup. In the quarterfinals in Melbourne, Rohit Sharma was caught at deep mid-wicket off a Rubel Hossain full toss when he was 90. Umpire Aleem Dar at square-leg deemed the ball was above waist height and illegal, hence he signalled a no-ball; TV replays subsequently showed that the ball was well below the waist. Rohit made the most of his lucky reprieve with a bruising 137 that muscled his team to a 109-victory.
Bangladesh believed they had multiple points to prove, therefore, when they ran into India in a Super 10 clash of the 2016 T20 World Cup at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Their semifinal hopes hung by the slenderest of threads following losses to Pakistan and Australia, while India needed the full points if they were to keep their last-four chances alive after losing their opener to New Zealand and then overcoming Pakistan.
India never found any momentum on being inserted by Mashrafe Mortaza. Each of the top five made it past 10 but Suresh Raina’s 30 was the highest individual score with the visiting pacers and spinners alike thriving on the slowness of the surface. Even though India batted deep with Ravindra Jadeja at No. 8, just below Yuvraj Singh, their batting display was unconvincing and scratchy. In the end, all they managed was a very modest 146 for seven, the only partnership of substance coming between Virat Kohli and Raina, who put on 50 for the third wicket.
Bangladesh’s stunning win over India in the 50-over World Cup league tie in Port of Spain had been spearheaded by Tamim Iqbal. Nine years on, the left-handed opener was at it again but the real flourish was provided by Sabbir Rahman, promoted to No. 3. Called into service in the third over after R Ashwin accounted for Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir smashed three fours and a six on his way to a 15-ball 26 and Shakib Al Hasan carried on the explosive start to the chase with 22 off 15 deliveries.
But as is his wont, MS Dhoni used his spinners – Ashwin, Jadeja and Raina – most judiciously. Between them, the trio took five for 51 from nine overs and seemed to have tilted the scales India’s way when brothers-in-law Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim joined hands to ensure that when the last over began, Bangladesh needed 11 for victory with four wickets in hand.
With his main bowlers, including Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah, having bowled out, Dhoni turned to Hardik Pandya to deliver the final over. Eight years on, Pandya would produce the most dramatic last over in the final against South Africa in Bridgetown, but this over was no less gripping.
After Mahmudullah steered the first ball to deep cover for a single, Mushfiqur produced back-to-back fours off the next two balls. A slower one was clattered through covers, after which he played a scoop that trickled to the fine-leg fence. As the ball rolled over the boundary rope, the little wicketkeeper pumped his fists in celebration, letting out a roar that could have been heard in Dhaka. Two needed off three deliveries, just the final rites remained, it appeared.
Mushfiqur paid the price for celebration too early
But what’s a T20 game without late drama? Mushfiqur pulled the fourth ball, a slower bouncer, down Shikhar Dhawan’s throat at deep mid-wicket. The batters having crossed brought Mahmudullah into the firing line (as the law existed then), which was great for Bangladesh because the new batter would not be on strike.
Sound on paper, but Mahmudullah perished next ball, smartly caught off a full toss by Jadeja running in and to his right from deep mid-wicket. Just seconds previously, Dhoni had moved his best fielder to that position from cover. Talk about smarts! Now, two off one ball required.
Pandya was the lone silent figure in a long conference also involving the captain, Nehra, Yuvraj and Kohli. As he took a deep breath at the top of his bowling mark, Dhoni quietly whipped off this right glove and tucked it behind him, readying to throw the ball at the stumps if need be. Shuvataga Hom missed a swat outside off and Mustafizur Rahman, the non-striker, scrambled for the bye that would have pushed the game into a Super Over. Despite being glove-off, Dhoni backed his speed, confident that he would outpace the Fizz, as he charged towards the stumps and whipped the bails off when it would have been tempting to have a shy. Mustafizur fell agonisingly short of his ground, Bangladesh agonisingly short of their target, India pulling off a one-run miracle. What a finish!
Brief scores: India: 146/7 in 20 overs (Suresh Raina 30; Al-Amin Hossain 2-37, Mustafizur Rahman 2-34) beat Bangladesh: 145/9 in 20 overs (Tamim Iqbal 35, Sabbir Rahman 26; R Ashwin 2-20, Ravindra Jadeja 2-22, Hardik Pandya 2-29). Player of the Match: R Ashwin (India).
