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.

Also Read: Mehidy leads Bangladesh to series-clinching win over India

“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.

Also Read: BAN vs IND: Malik’s 151 km/h rocket destroys BAN batter’s off stump

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.

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.

Also Read: Steve Smith Rings in the Changes as He Looks to The Future

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.