The first ODI between Bangladesh and India ended with a dramatic result as the guests tasted a sour defeat. Batting for the last wicket, Mehidy Hasan Miraj of Bangladesh changed the course of the match ultimately emerging triumphant against the Men in Blue. India, meanwhile, put on a meek batting show as their foundation fell weak at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Moreover, the Rohit Sharma-led team showcased a sub-par fielding performance, in turn, giving a window to Bangladesh to take the match away.
All That Went Down in the First India vs Bangladesh ODI
Litton Das, leading Bangladesh chose to bowl first post winning the toss. And the Bangladeshi bowling line-up stunned the batters at their track. Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma departed quite quickly leaving the attack wide-open. Former captain Virat Kohli also failed to show up as Litton Das took an unbelievable catch to dismiss the right-handed batter. The Indian line-up dwindled swiftly with vice-captain KL Rahul saving the grace single-handedly. Ultimately, Rahul departed at a score of 73 off 70 as India set a 187-run chase for the hosts.
Deepak Chahar bowling the first over in the second innings stunned Najmul Hossain Shanto on the very first delivery. Skipper Litton Das tried to stabilize the Bangladeshi chase as India scalped quick wickets. Ultimately, India with the help of debutante Kuldeep Sen and Mohammed Siraj pierced the chase setting the tone for a low-scoring win. However, Mehidy Hasan Miraj had other plans as he along with Mustafizur Rahman batted for the last wicket. Scoring 38* off 39, Mehidy led the score from 136-9 to 187-9 to the game home.
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“Didn’t have Enough Runs,” Says Rohit Sharma Post the Defeat
Appearing for the post-match presentation, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma put their batting performance at fault for the defeat. The skipper avoided talking about the third-class fielding show by his men, terming the bowling line-up apt. “186 wasn’t good enough, but we bowled pretty well and they held their nerve in the end. If you look back how we bowled right from ball one – of course, we would have loved to bowl better at the end – but we bowled pretty well for 40 overs and took wickets,” said Rohit Sharma.
“It was a very close game. We did pretty well to come back into that position. We didn’t bat well, just didn’t have enough runs. Another 25-30 runs would have helped. We were looking at 240-250 after the 25-over mark. When you keep losing wickets it is difficult. We need to learn and understand how to play on such wickets,” he added.
Moreover, Sharma iterated his plans to change the course in the oncoming matches. “No excuses for us because we are used to these wickets. I don’t really know how much they can improve in a couple of practice sessions. I feel the genes are there and it’s only about handling pressure and I’m sure these guys will learn and we look forward to the next game. Hopefully we can change things around. We know exactly what we need to do in these conditions,” he concluded.
