Opener's second consecutive fifty in tri-series ensures India beat Bangladesh by six wickets to register first win
Shikhar Dhawan en route his 55 against Bangladesh in Colombo yesterday. Pic/PTI
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There was an air of inevitability to the proceedings at the R Premadasa Stadium here yesterday when a flat Bangladesh team were comfortably beaten by India in a one-sided encounter. The lacklustre cricket on display was matched by a lack of interest from the local populace, empty stands greeting India for the first time in years in a limited-overs match.
Playing an unchanged XI meant there wasn't too much different about India's on-field tactics after Rohit Sharma put Bangladesh in. Jaydev Unadkat and Washington Sundar shared the new ball, and while the spinner stifled the flow of runs, the left-armer prised out the first wicket, Soumya Sarkar flicking straight to short fine-leg. Tamim Iqbal played an ambitious pull to Shardul Thakur and only managed to sky the ball to deep fine-leg.
India made some errors on the field, dropping three catches in all and sending down as many as 11 wides and two no-balls, but Bangladesh were not good enough to capitalise. Liton Das, the beneficiary of two drops, managed 34 and Sabbir Rahman added 30 at No. 6, but apart from them, there were no contributions to speak of from the Bangladesh line-up.
The regular fall of wickets and lack of partnerships meant that India's spinners ran through their overs at pace, giving away very little. Sundar conceded only 23 from his four overs and Yuzvendra Chahal was even more miserly, picking up 1-19 from his four.
With Bangladesh managing only 139 for 9 in their 20 overs, the Indian chase was never likely to be a tough. Shikhar Dhawan bedded down at his end, and even the early fall of Rohit, dragging Mustafizur Rahman back onto his stumps, made no difference. Rishab Pant, promoted to No. 3, had the perfect opportunity to score runs given the absence of scoreboard pressure, but he fluffed his lines, lasting just eight balls before an over-ambitious heave sent the ball into the stumps via the inside edge.
Suresh Raina steadied the ship, adding 68 for the third wicket, but it was Dhawan who ensured India were in no real trouble. Hitting two sixes and five fours in his untroubled 55, he had taken India to within 17 runs of the target when he fell. From there on there was no damage as India crossed the line in 18.4 overs with six wickets in hand. Dhawan had scored 90 in the first match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
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