World Twenty20: India stay alive after late drama results in Bangladesh misery

India pulled off an astounding one-run victory over Bangladesh in a manic finish to the ICC World Twenty20 Group 2 Super 10 match in Bangalore.
Indian cricketers celebrate after winning against Bangladesh in Bangalore. Picture: AP/Aijaz Rahi.Indian cricketers celebrate after winning against Bangladesh in Bangalore. Picture: AP/Aijaz Rahi.
Indian cricketers celebrate after winning against Bangladesh in Bangalore. Picture: AP/Aijaz Rahi.

The qualifiers seemed sure to score their first-ever victory over India in this format, when they needed just two runs from the final three balls of the match – with four wickets left.

But Hardik Pandya took two in two balls, Mushfiqur Rahim and then Mahmudullah holing out in the leg-side deep – before Mahendra Singh Dhoni ran out Mustafizur Rahman, as he tried to scamper a bye to level the scores on 146 and force a Super Over.

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Dhoni just won the race to dislodge the stumps as India won their second successive match, by a whisker, to move up to second in the table behind New Zealand – who have already qualified for the semi-finals.

India, who have their last group match against Australia on Sunday, were putting themselves in danger of an early exit from their own tournament when former Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur hit consecutive boundaries off Pandya to take his team to 145-6 in reply to 146 for seven.

But there was another twist in a tale of the unexpected, and it is Bangladesh who will therefore fail to reach the knockout stages after losing their first three matches.

They long seemed set for a successful chase, after restricting India’s big-hitters on an awkward surface.

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But the pre-tournament favourites kept eking out wickets to stay in with an outside chance.

Sharp work from Dhoni resulted in two stumpings, Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir Rahman the men to go.

Then after Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib-al-Hasan and Soumya Sarkar also came and went, it was left to Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah – who took their team to the verge of a memorable victory, only to fall agonisingly short.

India had to work hard for their runs, as their top order struggled for timing after being put in under lights.

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They had only 42-1 in the powerplay, and Virat Kohli needed 23 balls to find the boundary – before then being bowled aiming a slog-sweep repeat at Shuvagata Hom.

Suresh Raina mis-pulled Al-Amin Hossain to deep midwicket at the start of the 16th over, and Pandya was brilliantly held in the leg-side deep by Sarkar next ball to put the seamer on a hat-trick.

Hossain did not manage that feat.

India nonetheless continued to struggle for momentum, and appeared below par – but that was only the start of the drama.

n England Women took time away from the cricket pitch for an audience with the Dalai Lama on Wednesday.

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Charlotte Edwards’s squad have been based in Dharamsala this week, beating India Women in their World Twenty20 group game at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Stadium on Tuesday.

Dharamsala is also home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile and an invitation was extended to the England squad to meet his holiness at his McLeod Ganj temple. Though no pictures were allowed, the players could not wait to share their excitement on Twitter afterwards.

Heather Knight said of her informal greeting with the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner: “Can’t believe I just high-fived the Dalai Lama. Amazing!”

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