Hardik Pandya in action.
Credit: X/@T20WorldCup
Just how good is this Indian team?! Their second Super Eight game against Bangladesh wasn’t even over when this feeling cemented itself because you simply couldn’t gloss over their completeness in this game, or in the games which preceded Saturday.
Having won all of the games across four venues, three countries and in vastly different conditions, India were always going to assume top-dog status against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh have been an irksome opponent, not perhaps in competitiveness but in running their mouths, in the past with a fairly solid unit and an underrated but highly effective bowling unit.
Their efficacy came through in parts, but this Indian team, built to withstand the vagaries of the format and conditions, wouldn’t let them enjoy their stringency at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.
On the back of a string of aesthetic cameos, Hardik Pandya’s (50 n.o.) penchant for range hitting, and an uncompromising bowling performance would mean India would win by 50 runs and all but seal their spot in the semifinals.
India put up 196 for 5 in 20 overs in an innings worth watching on repeat for some of the shots on the day were breathtaking, and then kept Bangladesh down to 146 for 8 in 20 overs.
Bangladesh’s response was a curious one because they didn’t switch gears even though they had wickets in hand. That entire innings, so scratchy and edgy, was in stark contrast to India’s.
From Rohit Sharma’s class in full extension to Virat Kohli’s dismissive slap over wide long-on. From Suryakumar Yadav’s pull off his first ball to Rishabh Pant’s long-lever heave, these were just some of the sixes.
The fours which came, and the way the innings was scripted was especially pleasing, more so because it came in the face of Bangladesh bowling as well as they could have.
Sure, the scoreboard doesn’t suggest that, and they did offer some freebies along the way, but for the most part, they were on point, so much so that they would have felt like they had India against the ropes for a moment or two.
With the pacers varying pace, the spinners using the turn on offer, and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto trying the force the Indians to play against the more-than-intense crosswind, Bangladesh did their bit, picking up crucial wickets at crucial moments.
The Indians didn’t help themselves by looking to force matters after settling in nicely. That was the truth for nearly every batter on the day.
Rohit (23) looked set and then he threw it away with loose hands.
Kohli (37) was at his best, better than anything he had been all tournament long, and managed to gift Tanzim Hasan Sakib an easy scalp.
Pant (36) was going great guns before an untimely, maybe even unnecessary, reverse sweep put an end to his stay.
The same with Shivam Dube (34), set and looking good but lost his wicket looking to do way more than needed.
Pandya, though, stayed the course and didn’t bother with trying to outfox the bowlers by doing anything which went away from staying steady, keeping his head on top of the ball, and playing through the line.
He was poised. The bowling unit was the same. The spinners, who had until now only bowled 19 combined overs across nine games, bowled nine overs in this game with Kuldeep Yadav (3/19) leading the way.
And, unsurprisingly, even on a pitch which favoured spinners, Jasprit Bumrah finished with 2 for 13 from 24 balls. That’s just unfair. The same could be said about this team and how good it is.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA
Rohit c Jaker b Shakib 23
(11b, 3x4, 1x6)
Kohli b Tanzim 37
(28b, 1x4, 3x6)
Pant c Tanzim b Rishad 36
(24b, 4x2, 2x6)
Suryakumar c Litton b Tanzim 6
(2b, 1x6)
Dube b Rishad 34
(24b, 3x6)
Hardik (not out) 50
(27b, 4x4, 3x6)
Axar (not out) 3
(5b)
Extras (NB-1, W-6) 7
TOTAL (for 5 wickets, 20 overs) 196
Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Rohit), 2-71 (Kohli), 3-77 (Surya), 4-108 (Pant), 5-161 (Dube).
Bowling: Mahedi 4-0-28-0, Shakib 3-0-37-1 (w-1), Tanzim 4-0-32-2 (w-1), Mustafizur 4-0-48-0 (w-1, nb-1), Rishad 3-0-43-2 (w-2), Mahmudullah 2-0-8-0.
BANGLADESH
Litton c Suryakumar b Pandya 13
(10b, 1x4, 1x6)
Tanzid lbw Kuldeep 29
(31b, 4x4)
Najmul c Arshdeep b Bumrah 40
(32b, 1x4, 3x6)
Hridoy lbw Kuldeep 4
(6b)
Shakib c Rohit b Kuldeep 11
(7b, 1x4, 1x6)
Mahmudullah c Axar b Arshdeep 13
(15b, 1x4)
Jaker c Kohli b Arshdeep 1
(4b)
Rishad c Rohit b Bumrah 24
(10b, 1x4, 3x6)
Mahedi (not out) 5
(4b, 1x4)
Sakib (not out) 1
(1b)
Extras (LB-2, W-3) 5
TOTAL (for 8wickets , 20 overs) 146
Fall of wickets: 1-35 (Litton), 2-66 (Tanzid), 3-76 (Hridoy), 4-98 (Shakib), 5-109 (Najmul), 6-110 (Jaker), 7-138 (Rishad), 8-145 (Mahmudullah).
Bowling: Arshdeep 4-0-30-2 (w-1), Bumrah 4-0-13-2, Axar 2-0-26-0, Pandya 3-0-32-1 (w-2), Jadeja 3-0-24-0, Kuldeep 4-0-19-3.
Result: India won by 50 runs.
PoM: Hardik Pandya
Next match: vs Australia (Gros Islet, June 24)