Asia Cup
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Asia Cup 2018: India narrowly escape cobra bite

Mustafa Ismail·
One Day International (ODI)
·3 Comments·

India managed to win an intense Asia Cup final on the last ball of the game, with Bangladesh fighting till their last breath…

It was the final of the Asia Cup 2018 between two recent rivals, India and Bangladesh, taking place on a hot Friday afternoon in Dubai. Since the 2015 World Cup in Australia, there has been an increase in intensity during India vs. Bangladesh games and we have seen many close encounters. Although India vs. Pakistan is the blockbuster that everyone waits for, India vs. Bangladesh has been living up to the billing. For Bangladesh fans especially, it is probably the most anticipated match of the year. Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision he had made throughout the tournament. For Bangladesh, batting first had been their strength, making it was a win-win scenario for both sides.

Bangladesh promoted Mehidy Hasan to the opener’s slot as him and Liton Das got Bangladesh off to a solid start. Mehidy dropped anchor while Das attacked the Indian bowlers, smashing Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar all over the park. It was an extraordinary display of batting and represented the fearless brand of cricket Bangladesh have been playing in recent times. Even when the Indian spinners came on, Mehidy gave the strike to Liton, who hammered them whenever the ball was in his zone.

The opening partnership reached 120 runs in the first 20 overs. The majority of the runs were scored by Liton Das, who was in sublime touch. India just could not find an answer to the player’s destructive capabilities, and memories of last year’s Champions Trophy final slowly started to creep in the minds of Indian fans. It was Fakhar Zaman then, and Liton Das now, who were taking the attack to the Indian bowlers in an Asia Cup final and the bowlers had no response.

Finally, Rohit Sharma handed the ball to Mr. Golden Arm, Kedar Jadhav, who immediately responded with the wicket of Mehidy. The dismissal opened the floodgates for India as one wicket led to another – and before you knew it, Bangladesh had slumped from 120-0 to 151-5. India were right back in it, with the spinners dominating and the fielders giving nothing away. Jadeja’s run-out, in particular, was absolutely stunning as he dived at extra-cover to stop a boundary and immediately got up to throw the ball at the bowler’s end to get Mohammed Mithun run out. It was probably the momentum-shifting moment as Bangladesh began feeling the pressure to put up a decent total.

Liton Das was still at the crease as he got to a magnificent 100, making history in the Asia Cup final against a top Indian side. The right-hander has a bright future ahead of him and can form a potent opening partnership with Tamim Iqbal if he continues making progress like this. Das eventually fell to a very close stumping call, with the umpire’s delayed decision taking the Bangladeshi fans by surprise. It was a marginal call as one couldn’t really tell if the foot was on the line or behind.

Typically, the benefit of the doubt goes to the batsmen in such circumstances. However, this time it was in the bowler’s favour. The umpire failed to see any part of the foot behind the line which meant Liton Das was dismissed for a marvellous 121 off 117 balls. Bangladesh were bowled out for 222, which was below par given the start they got form their openers. It was an exceptional comeback by the Indians on the field, with their bowlers always looking for the wickets instead of just trying to contain the runs.

With 222 to win, both Dhawan and Rohit came out aggressively as they struck boundaries from the very first over. The pair attacked Mehidy in particular and never allowed the spinner to settle. Making smart use of their feet allowed them to play some exquisite shots. After a solid start, there was a moment of madness from Dhawan. Despite already hitting Nazmul Islam for ten runs in the over, Dhawan went for another lofted shot and ended up miscuing it to mid-off as he fell for 15. Ambati Rayudu then fell straight after as he a received a superb delivery from Mortaza which he nicked to the keeper. The run-rate began to dip and Bangladesh were clawing back into the game. They further enhanced their chances when Rubel trapped Rohit Sharma with a short ball – with the batsmen hitting it straight down deep square leg’s throat.

India were in a spot of bother now at 83-3, with their run-rate decreasing after every wicket. The pressure was on the fragile middle order. Dhoni and Karthik took their time to settle in and ensured that they didn’t lose their wicket early on as they slowly began building their partnership. After consuming a lot of balls, the pair got going as Dhoni came down the wicket to smash a few boundaries and Karthik played some smart shots to find the rope. Eventually, they both settled – but just when India looked to be comfortable, they lost their wickets. Karthik was dismissed by a full toss and Dhoni chased a wide delivery to his demise. The pressure was back on India as two new batsmen had to apply themselves on a tricky pitch in Dubai.

To add to the tension, Jadhav pulled his hamstring and was retired hurt. This meant that the onus was now on Jadeja and Bhuvi to take the team through. The pair batted magnificently as they were very cautious in their approach, managing to find the release shots at the perfect time. Bhuvi’s six down the ground was marvellous and left India in touching distance of the Asia Cup trophy. However, Bangladesh’s bowlers kept on fighting – and with just 10 runs left in the chase, both Bhuvi and Jadeja were dismissed. Kuldeep and the injured Jadhav were suddenly at the crease for a nail-biting finish.

Mashrafe captained his side brilliantly despite not having enough runs to play with. The way he rotated his bowlers and placed his field was extraordinary and led to wickets, which ultimately kept Bangladesh in the game. Mustafizur’s penultimate over was equally outstanding as he gave away just two runs and got the wicket of Bhuvi. India needed six runs off six balls, but were comforted by Jadhav’s presence at the crease. Despite being injured, they needed just one clean hit from him to seal victory. Mahmudullah bowled the last over, and the crowd were on their feet for the thrilling finish. Eventually, the equation fell to 1 run off 1 ball – with the last ball hitting Jahdav on the thigh and racing away towards the boundary. It was a heartbreaking moment for Bangladesh, but India had won the final on the last ball of the Asia Cup.

It was a fitting end to a brilliant tournament as we saw some high-quality cricket and close encounters. A packed house in Dubai was treated to an absolute peach. Bangladesh gave their heart out in the final and should be extremely proud of their performance, especially while they were without their two best players in Shakhib Ul Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. India were not convincing and their middle order continues to be a huge concern going into the World Cup. They will be pleased with their overall performance in the Asia Cup nonetheless as they held their nerve to emerge champions.

The Indian bowlers were magnificent as they jolted the opposition with wickets at regular intervals; their fielding improved as the tournament progressed; and Rohit’s captaincy was refreshing as he made bowling and fielding changes at the right time. All in all, it was a fantastic tournament – and despite the heat in the UAE, the players put on a brilliant show for spectators across the globe. India’s experience shone through and helped them cement that number one spot in Asia.