Ban vs Ind: Chasing 145 to win, India were 45 for four at stumps on day three of the second and final Test against Bangladesh here on Saturday. India lost the wickets of skipper KL Rahul (2), Cheteshwar Pujara (6), Shubman Gill (7) and Virat Kohli (1). At stumps, Jaydev Unadkat (3) was giving company to Axar Patel (26). Earlier, India dismissed Bangladesh for 231 in their second innings to set themselves a target of 145. Litton Das (73) led Bangladesh’s fightback on the third day with seven fours in his 98-ball innings.

For India, Umesh Yadav (1/32) removed the dangerous Zakir Hasan (51) just after the southpaw struck a fifty, while Axar (3/58) claimed the scalps of Mehidy Hasan Miraz (0) and Nurul Hasan (31) in the second session. India suffered a top-order meltdown chasing a small victory target of 145 after spinner Mehidy Hasan struck triple blows to keep alive Bangladesh’s hopes of a series-levelling victory in the dramatic second test on Saturday.

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Ban vs Ind: Mehidy Mauls India to Spice Up Mirpur Test, takes early 3 wickets

The tourists were on a precarious 45-4 after 14 wickets tumbled on a frenetic day three — half of them in the final session alone. Axar Patel, promoted to number four, was batting on 26 at stumps with nightwatchman Jaydev Unadkat on three at the other end. Earlier, Bangladesh posted 231 in their second innings largely because of Litton Das’ sparkling 73 before being all out in the final session. Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Najmul Hossain in the second over of the day.

Home captain Shakib Al Hasan played a loose shot and Mushfiqur Rahim fell cheaply too but Zakir Hasan made a patient 51 taking Bangladesh past the 100-mark. Having conceded a first-innings lead of 87, Bangladesh slumped to 113-6 but added 118 for the last four wickets after Litton, Bangladesh’s last recognised batsman, counter-attacked in the company of tailenders. He had luck on his side too. Virat Kohli twice dropped Litton in the slip off Patel and Ashwin respectively.

Ishan Kishan smashed the fastest double hundred in the history of ODI cricket as India beat Bangladesh by 227 runs. In the inconsequential third and final match here on Saturday. Put in to bat, Kishan blasted 210 off 131 balls. While Virat Kohli (113) also slammed his first ODI hundred since August 2019 to power India to a massive 409 for 8.

Kishan, who came into the side in place of an injured Rohit Sharma. Slammed as many as 24 fours and 10 maximums. Washington Sundar also chipped in with 37 to take the team past the 400-mark. In reply, Bangladesh were all out for 182 in 34 overs with Shakib Al Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 43 for the hosts. Shardul Thakur (3/30) did most of the damage, while Axar Patel (2/22) and Umran Malik (2/43) claimed two wickets each.

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Massive win for the Indian side, despite losing series by 2-1

India was put into bat by the Bangladesh skipper Litton Das. Despite losing Shikhar Dhawan early, India amassed a huge 409 runs courtesy of Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli. Ishan Kishan scored his first career hundred, and continued his trailer blaze to rack up a double hundred. Kishan scored 210 runs off just 131 balls, making him the youngest player to score an ODI double hundred. He was expertly guided by Virat Kohli, who went on to score his 72nd career hundred, his first ODI century in more than three years. Washington Sundar also played a decent cameo of 37 at the latter end to take India’s score beyond the 400 mark.

In reply, Bangladesh couldn’t put up a lot of resistance. Axar Patel got the first wicket by picking up Anamul Haque and Mohammed Siraj also took the big wicket of captain Litton Das. After that, it was wickets in regular intervals for India as the hosts couldn’t build a proper partnership. Umran Malik, and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each while Shardul Thakur cleaned up the tail as Bangladesh was bowled out for a paltry 182.

Ishan Kishan on Saturday slammed the fastest double-century in One-Day Internationals during the ongoing 3rd ODI between India and Bangladesh in Chattogram. He achieved the feat in 126 balls, also becoming the fourth Indian batter to score a double-hundred. Kishan, who was drafted in for the last match of the series after captain Rohit Sharma got injured, slammed 24 fours and 10 sixes, before getting dismissed on the penultimate delivery of the 36th over. After he reached the 200-run mark, people from all walks of life took to Twitter to hails the young batter.

Ishan Kishan was in red-hot form as he rewrote batting record books during the third ODI between India and Bangladesh in Chattogram on Sunday. Playing in his first match of the Bangladesh tour, Ishan blasted 210 off just 131 deliveries to become the fourth Indian to score an ODI double-century. And he reached the milestone on the 126th delivery – which is the quickest by any batter in men’s ODI history. Ishan belted 24 fours and 10 sixes during his record-breaking assault, not sparing anyone.

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That’s the way to do it. Brilliant from Ishan Kishan. This is the approach that will do Team India a world of good. #INDvsBAN pic.twitter.com/PepchFwFF1— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 10, 2022

Kishan broke the world record held earlier by West Indies great Chris Gayle, of slamming the fastest double hundred in 50-over cricket. Gayle had taken 138 deliveries to score his double hundred against Zimbabwe in the 2015 ICC World Cup. India trail Bangladesh 0-2 in the three-match series.

Left-arm fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat has been added to the Indian Test squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh. Unadkat, who powered Saurashtra to the Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph recently, has been called up as a replacement for Mohammed Shami – ruled out of the series due to a bowling arm stress. Unadkat’s only appearance so far in the longest format was almost exactly 12 years ago, as a teenager straight out of India Under 19 side, in the first Test of the 2010-11 tour of South Africa. In that Test, in Centurion, he finished with figures of none for 101 as India lost by an innings and 25 runs.

Meanwhile, there are chances of regular skipper Rohit Sharma joining the squad ahead of second Test (December 22-26). He suffered a ‘blow on his left thumb’ during the second ODI in Dhaka on December 7. In the first Test (December 14-18), KL Rahul will be leading the side. Abhimanyu Easwaran, who led India A in the two-match series against Bangladesh. Has been named as a cover for Rohit in the first Test. Unadkat is the second player set to join India’s Test squad in Bangladesh as an injury replacement. On Friday evening, Abhimanyu Easwaran, the Bengal player who led India A to a 1-0 win in the four-day series against Bangladesh A on a shadow tour.

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Unadkat replaces Shami for Tests in Bangladesh

Was called-up as cover for Rohit Sharma, who has flown home to Mumbai to nurse a finger injury he picked up during the ODI series. Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar is also in line to replace Ravindra Jadeja. Saurabh finished the ‘A’ tour with a haul of 15 wickets across two red-ball matches. Over the past five years, Unadkat has built up an impressive body of work with Saurashtra. The team he has led to a wave of success in the Indian domestic circuit. He was front and centre during their first Ranji Trophy title win in 2019-20, picking up 67 wickets. The second-highest haul by a bowler in a season. Over the last three Ranji seasons, Unadkat has picked up 115 wickets in 21 matches.

If you love the way you play the game, all other things will fall in place. I love this space and the mindset I’m currently in and don’t want to change that for anything. But the hunger and fire to play and perform for the country is still burning bright.” Ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, Unadkat reiterated that “the hunger and fire to play and perform for the country is still burning bright”. Unadkat led Saurashtra to the title, finishing as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets in ten games.

Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali and Taskin Ahmed have returned to Bangladesh’s squad for the first Test against India starting in Chattogram on December 14, while left-hand batter Zakir Hasan has been given his maiden call-up. Mushfiqur had missed Bangladesh’s previous Test series in West Indies to perform Hajj, while Yasir and Taskin were injured.

Zakir, 24, made it to the 17-member side after scoring 173 for Bangladesh A in the first four-day game against India A in Cox’s Bazar last week. His innings helped Bangladesh A draw the game despite being nine down and on the verge of an innings defeat. Zakir, a top-order batter who keeps wickets, was also the highest run-scorer – 442 at 56.25 – in this season’s National Cricket League, Bangladesh’s first-class competition. “Zakir has been on our radar for the last five years,” Bangladesh’s chief selector Minhajul Abedin said. “He was in the High-Performance unit for four of those years, and this season he was the highest scorer in first-class cricket.

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Mushfiqur, Yasir Ali, and Taskin have returned for Test squad

He played a good knock against India A last week. It saved the game. Selector Abdur Razzak, with the Bangladesh A side, witnessed the game and it seems Zakir is prepared for the highest level.” Tamim Iqbal, who missed the ODI series with a groin injury. Mosaddek Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman were the high-profile names missing from the Test squad. It is understood that Tamim’s recovery could take until December 22. Which could put him in doubt for the second Test starting on December 22 in Mirpur.

Mushfiqur’s return, however, is a huge boost for Bangladesh. While Yasir comes back to the Test format after a long layoff following the injury he suffered during the tour of South Africa in March and April. The hosts have picked five fast bowlers in their squad. Along with the regulation three spinners in Shakib, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam. The real battle, however, will be for top-order spots. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque are out of form. While Najmul Hossain Shanto’s spot is also shaky after scoring just one half-century this year. The middle order looks stable with Mushfiqur, Shakib and Litton taking their usual places.

India skipper Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the third ODI following an injury to his left-hand thumb and will fly back to the country, India coach Rahul Dravid said at the press conference after the second ODI against Bangladesh. Despite the finger injury which saw him unable to open the innings for India, Rohit came in at number nine. Almost snatched the game away from the Tigers in the second ODI today with an unbeaten 28-ball 51.

Needing six off the last delivery, Rohit was left frustrated as Mustafizur Rahman produced a yorker to keep the right-hander at bay as Bangladesh won by five runs to seal a memorable series win 2-0. Rohit later informed during the post-match presentation ceremony that he had a dislocation but ‘fortunately it wasn’t a fracture’. While Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the third ODI. Pacers Kuldeep Sen and Deepak Chahar will also sit out the third ODI through injuries. “Kuldeep, Deepak and Rohit will certainly miss the next game. I think Kuldeep and Deepak are out of the series.

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“Kuldeep, Deepak and Rohit will certainly miss the next game

Rohit will certainly miss the next game, will fly back to Mumbai and consult with an expert and see how it is. Whether he can come back for the Test matches or not we’re not sure. It’s too early to say at the moment but certainly, in the next match the three won’t play,” Rahul Dravid said at press conference after the game. The India skipper had to be taken to hospital for scans after injury to left-hand thumb while fielding at slips very early on the game. Dravid praised his captain for showing courage under such circumstances.

“It was phenomenal. I think for him to show that level of courage. He had a serious dislocation, he had to go to hospital to get that set right, stitches in his hand, couple of injections to go out and bat. Credit to him, he was really determined to go out and have a go and take a chance. It’s amazing how close he got us with that innings, it was an absolutely phenomenal innings by the skipper.  Great courage to be able to go out there and give us a chance. Unfortunately, in the end we couldn’t get over the line,” Dravid said. With Rishabh Pant ruled out earlier, India have thirteen players available for the third ODi from a squad of 17.

Mehidy Hasan hit his maiden century as Bangladesh recovered from 69-6 to beat India by five runs in the second ODI and seal the three-match series on Wednesday. Mehidy helped Bangladesh to an unlikely victory in the first match by staring down a 51-run deficit with one wicket at hand. He followed that by striking for exactly 100 off 83 balls, with eight fours and four sixes, to help the side post 271-7. India then came up short despite a valiant 28-ball 51 from captain Rohit Sharma, who came in as the No. 9 batter after earlier injuring his left thumb.

With his side at 207-7 and on verge of another defeat, Rohit batted through injury to hit three fours and five sixes to give Bangladesh a massive scare. Needing 20 runs from the final over, Rohit smashed Mustafizur Rahman for 14 runs but couldn´t connect for a six on the last ball. Before Rohit´s heroics, it was Mehidy who paved the way for Bangladesh’s second successive home-series win over India.

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Bangladesh finished at 271/7 after being down at 69/9 inside the first 20 overs

India pacer Mohammad Siraj swung the ball admirably to dismiss Bangladesh openers Anamul Haque and captain Liton Das, who chose to bat first. Rohit was injured in the second over and went to the hospital for X-rays. He would then return to provide India with some late hope. With Bangladesh at 13-2 in the 10th over, Umran Malik, who replaced Kuldeep Sen as one of India´s two changes, intimidated the hosts with expressive pace. He clocked one over 151KM to scatter the wicket of Najmul Hossain before Washington Sundar ripped through Bangladesh´s middle order to leave the side at 69-6.

Mehidy got support from veteran Mahmudullah as the duo combined for a record 148-run seventh wicket to keep India at bay. Mahmudullah made 77 off 96, including seven boundaries, before Malik dismissed him. But Mehidy, who reached 50 off 55 balls, came down heavily on India bowlers as Bangladesh amassed 68 runs in the last five overs for just one wicket. Virat Kohli opened India´s innings with Shikhar Dhawn and hit a boundary in the first ball from Mehidy. But he dragged one onto his stump off pacer Ebadot to give Bangladesh a breakthrough.

Disciplined Bangladesh bowlers then reduced India to 39-3 and Mehidy, who also took 2-47, dealt a massive blow by dismissing KL Rahul for 14. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel batted confidently to add 107 runs for the fifth wicket before Mehidy again broke through by getting rid of Iyer, who scored a team-high 82. Ebadot, who took 3-45, then put Bangladesh in a dominant position by removing Axar for 56. But Rohit refused to give up and his six-laden innings scared Bangladesh for a while before Mustafizur held on to clinch another thrilling victory.

After losing a nailbiting contest against Bangladesh in the first of the three-match ODI series. Rohit and his men will be looking to review the batting options at his disposal. Axar Patel is to come in for Shabaz Ahmed to add more experience in the clutch moments and Kuldeep Sen is to be replaced by another young quick Umran Malik to add. With Rishabh Pant out of the series through an injury Sanju Samson has been added to the squad. KL Rahul has kept wickets in the first game so it is unlikely to see any changes in that department.

Iyer’s short ball continues. On Sunday he was out for the short ball again when Ebadot kept bowling an array of the short ball and piled pressure on Iyer. The right-hander eventually succumbed to the pressure. However, Iyer has been the most in-form ODI batter for India in 2022. He scored 639 runs at an average of 58.33 this year. He alsogside Virat Kohli and Rahul looks like a solid middle order. India needs to get good solid quick starts. Apart from the opening stand against New Zealand at Auckland Indian openings have been below par this year in the ODIs.

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India’s Loss To Bangladesh, It’s Not KL Rahul’s Dropped Catch

Shikar Dhawan’s strike rate is on a study decline in ODIs.He is striking at 75 in 20 ODIs this year with a mediocre average of 38. Skippers’ poor run of form for a long time. This makes India vulnerable at the top. India needs to sort out a combination that can work for the World Cup. KL Rahul, who was entrusted with keeping duties to fit him and another veteran Shikhar Dhawan in the same XI, dropped an aerial sitter from Miraj when Bangladesh still needed 32 runs.

“The bowlers did wonderfully well, to get themselves in a position where they were 136-9. And then Hasan Miraj came, they had a bit of luck with that drop catch, but he played really well. He played sensibly. They took the attack to the opposition and played some bold shots. “When you are ask to chase less than four runs an over. Bangladesh to chase, automatically, the pressure comes down. Bangladesh made it difficult for themselves by playing ultra-cautiously. That’s what got them into trouble. I think India didn’t score 70-80 more runs is the reason why they lost,” added Gavaskar.

Mehedi Miraz turned saviour and Mustafizur Rahman a warrior as an unlikely heroic last-wicket stand between the two saw Bangladesh turn a corner and India in a tight contest, having failed on numerous occasions. The Bangalore game in 2016 is still raw in Bangladesh supporters’ minds. If Miraz needed something spectacular, Mustafizur provided that steely determination. With just the tail to accompany him, Miraz had a plan, taking chances on the way.

“I told Hasan [Mahmud] that if he can play four or five deliveries it will become easier. I thought I could score 15 with Ebadot [Hossain], 20 along with Hasan and then get whatever is required at the end with Mustafizur,” Miraz said at press conference. Ebadot and Hasan did not last long and it seemed only a matter of time before India wrap up proceedings.

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A match like this will go down in memory: Miraz

“When it came down to the last wicket there was nothing to lose. Mustafizur’s words rang in my ear and it gave me belief,” he said about Mustafizur’s message that he was ready to take body blows and remain not out. However, the long heap of failures in close encounters against India has its own story. When the Tigers reached within 14 runs of victory, the nerves must have been telling. “I took risks at the start [of the innings]. When we got within 14 runs, I got a bit excited pondering about failure. It has happened before [in close contests].

Mustafizur told me not to play in the air. He was just telling me not to worry about him. ‘I will block them’ is what he said. I tried to attack deliveries that were in my reach. I played over the top too and gave them chances but they couldn’t take them,” Miraz, who hit four fours and two sixes during a 39-ball 38, said about the last few critical moments. “When Mustafizur says ‘I will not get out, you play your game’ that gives you immense confidence. In such scenarios you worry about the other batter,” he added.

Miraz and Mustafizur put on an unbroken 51-run stand for the final wicket and the win gives Tigers something new to hold on to. “A match like this will go down in memory. We lost close matches against India but after this we will come back stronger,” he added as Tigers take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

A consistent Shikhar Dhawan and a supremely talented KL Rahul will battle it out for the opener’s slot. Even as a top-heavy Indian batting line-up will aim for transformation. Show more intent against a gutsy Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series, starting Sunday. Throw a fabulously consistent young turk Shubman Gill (rested for this series) into the mix. Coach Rahul Dravid will struggle to fit in all the boxes of this jigsaw puzzle called Indian top-order. The focus for the next one year will primarily be on ODIs and just like the T20Is. India’s approach in the 50-over format needs a sea change.

Sometimes having a plethora of options isn’t actually a good headache to have as it creates more confusion among the rank and file of the team. When there are similar skill set options, the coach tries to give everyone equal opportunities. But it results in not having a settled line-up and this is not an ideal situation now. Currently, the Indian white ball squad is now going through that particular phase.

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Not just openers, but middle order and lower middle order also muddled

A few years back, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were automatic picks as India’s preferred ODI opening pair with hardly any questions asked or their spots being debated. But Dhawan’s slow approach in the Powerplay overs and the emergence of Gill as a potent 50-over opener is bound to throw up possibilities. KL Rahul, during the last phase of Ravi Shastri’s coaching stint played a few games in the middle-order. But he loves to bat at the top and has had a fair amount of success too.

Ironically, the numbers in the face of it will not give a clear indication as to who should be Rohit’s opening partner for the series. In the 19 ODI innings that Dhawan has opened for India in 2022, he had a poor strike-rate of 75.11. While between 2016-18, it used to be 101 and between 2019-21, it dipped but was still a steady 91. Rahul, who has 5 hundred and 10 fifties in 45 ODIs with strike-rate 85+ and an impressive average of 45.

For the opening match though, in case the team management wants to give rest to a jet-lagged Dhawan, who has flown all the way from Down Under to join the team in Mirpur, Rahul will certainly join Rohit at the top. While Virat Kohli at No. 3 is an automatic choice, Shreyas Iyer as India’s No. 4 is slowly settling down. Rishabh Pant after his heroics in the ODI series in England remains ahead of Ishan Kishan to start as No. 5 in the line-up.