India Clinches Thrilling Victory Over Bangladesh in Adelaide Oval
India's formidable batting duo of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul shone once again as they helped India beat Bangladesh in an edge-of-the-seat thriller at the Adelaide Oval. With Kohli staying unbeaten in 64 consecutive games and Rahul ending his scoring drought, India powered their way to a 184-6 victory.
Kohli's form was unyielding, while Rahul put an end to his slump, scoring a crucial half-century. Liton Das of Bangladesh, who had to chase a revised target of 151 runs in 16 overs due to rain, put up a valiant effort, but his dismissal faltered Bangladesh's momentum, leading to a collapse.
India sits comfortably atop Group 2 with 6 points, one ahead of South Africa, who still have one match to play. The victory was a morale booster for India, who had not exactly been in top form in previous matches.
Indian Captain Rohit Sharma was delighted with his team's performance, acknowledging the emotional rollercoaster the game had become. "The match could have been reduced in length or reduced after the break... but once the game resumed, we managed to keep our emotions in check," he said, praising the efforts of his team.
"Some of the fish we managed to reel in today were impressive," he added, acknowledging the crucial contributions from his players. Kohli was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance.
India's start was not ideal, with the Seamans Taskin Ahmed impressing without picking up a wicket. However, Hasan Mahmood (3-47) managed to dismiss Rohit for a meager 2, only to bowl him out for a second sixth ball duck in the very next over.
Kohli appeared to struggle at first but soon found his footing, while Rahul showed signs of resurgence. Rahul, who had managed only 4, 9, and 9 in his first three outings, answered the calls for justification with a 31-ball 50, complete with four sixes, as India reached 86-2 by the halfway mark.
Suryakumar Yadav played a crucial role as well, scoring 30 runs off just 16 balls, surpassing Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan as the No. 1 T20 batter. Kohli, fueled by a desire to break Mahela Jayawardene's record as the highest run-scorer in the tournament, accelerated and scored his 3rd fifty in four innings.
Liton Das, who had scored a 21-ball 50 against Bangladesh earlier, provided a solid start in the first six Powerplay overs, contributing 56 of their 60 runs. However, he was dismissed after a direct hit from Rahul, which triggered a Bangladeshi collapse.
Bangladesh needed 20 runs from the last over but fell just short, as Arshdeep Singh kept them at bay. Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladeshi captain, acknowledged that they had almost conquered their opponents but conceded that they had never managed to cross the finishing line.
Trivia
- Rain Impact: The game was halted due to rain, forcing a modified target for Bangladesh.
- Simbabwe's Challenges: Zimbabwe's hopes of reaching the semi-finals were dashed as they lost five consecutive matches against the Netherlands in the Super 12 stage.
- Netherlands' Victory: Max O'Dowd (52) and Tom Cooper (32) led the Netherlands to their first win in two games as they defeated Zimbabwe by 5 wickets.
