Ganesh Kendale
India in no mood to take foot off pedal as they seek 3-0 verdict in final T20I against Bangladesh
HYDERABAD: With the series already in the bag, India look to complete a 3-0 rout when they take on Bangladesh in the final T20 International at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday. The houseful will hope for a Dussehra special from the hosts, who will want openers to make good the opportunity and the rain to stay away.
The first two matches were lop-sided affairs with India, under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, completely outplaying Bangladesh in all three departments.And the visiting side is unlikely to get any respite with the hosts in no mood to take their foot off the pedal.
The contest in Gwalior was a low-scoring affair as the visitors were bundled out for 127, which India chased down in 11.5 overs for a seven-wicket victory. The Delhi match was made to look easy by the belligerent batting of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh.
Visakhapatnam lad Nitish, playing only his second game, showcased his potential – with bat and ball – in India’s crushing 86-run win. With India struggling at 25/2 in three overs, Nitish blazed his way to a 34-ball 74 that revived the hosts and put them on course for a 220+ total.
His big hitting abilities that were on show during the IPL, came to the fore and his show with the ball (2/23) gave the team management a glimpse of a star in the making. While Nitish is a clear positive for the side, the below-par show of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma wouldn’t have missed the attention of the Indian think tank. Despite the license to go all out in the powerplay, Samson has only managed a 19-ball 29 in a chase of 128 in Gwalior and 10 off seven deliveries in Delhi.
Abhishek, who like Nitish will be playing at his IPL home ground, has been equally flat as Samson, scoring 15 and 16 in the last two matches. With Jitesh Sharma waiting in the wings, Samson especially would not want to squander the opportunity.
The hosts will be happy with the bowling unit. Mayank Yadav was impressive and Chakravarthy claimed three wickets in his first outing for India in three years. But it remains to be seen if the hosts want to give some game time to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and all-rounder Harshit Rana.
The visitors have been lacklustre, as admitted by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. This being the final match for Mahmudullah, who announced his retirement from T20Is, Shanto and his boys need to play out of their skin if they want to give him a winning farewell.
