India on Wednesday earned a consolation 77-run win in Dhaka in the third one-day international against Bangladesh to avoid a whitewash in their three-match series.
Spinners Suresh Raina (3-45) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2-35) shared five wickets as Bangladesh, replying to India’s 317-6, were shot out for 240 in 47 overs.
The defeat at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium ended Bangladesh’s 10-match unbeaten run on home soil that began in November last year.
Photo: AFP
The home side claimed the series 2-1 owing to their wins in the first two matches by 79 runs and six wickets respectively.
“It was the best series of my career,” Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said in a post-match press conference. “We have achieved more than what we had dreamed of before the series. We had the chance to achieve more, but we could not do so because of some mistakes.”
“We lost too many wickets at crucial times,” he said.
Photo: AFP
Set a mammoth target, Bangladesh suffered a blow when opener Tamim Iqbal was judged LBW for five in the second over off Dhawal Kulkarni.
Sabbir Rahman made the highest score for Bangladesh with 43 as the side lost a wicket whenever a partnership was developing.
Soumya Sarkar (40), Litton Das (34), Nasir Hossain (32) Mushfiqur Rahim (24) and Shakib Al Hasan (20) were all guilty of throwing their wickets away.
Kulkarni claimed 2-34, while Stuart Binny, Axar Patel and Ambati Rayudu chipped in with wickets as India finally managed to dominate a game after the embarrassing series loss.
Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan made 75 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni added 69 as India posted a challenging total.
Mortaza took three wickets for Bangladesh, but conceded 76 runs in the process after he elected to field first.
Rohit Sharma (29) gave India a positive start before he was picked up by left-arm paceman Mustafizur Rahman for the third time in the series.
Shakib bowled Virat Kohli for 25 to end his 75-run stand with Dhawan, who later became the victim of a stunning Nasir Hossain catch at short mid-wicket off Mortaza.
Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu did not let the momentum slip as they put on 93 for the fourth wicket.
Rayudu was unlucky to miss out on a half-century when he was given out caught behind off Mortaza for 44. Replays suggested the ball hit only his thigh pad.
Bangladesh got rid of Dhoni before he became yet more dangerous when Mustafizur took a catch at deep midwicket off Mortaza.
Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 4 in the batting order for the second time in the series, faced 77 deliveries for his innings, which included six fours and a six.
Raina added a quick-fire 38 off 21 deliveries, helping India past the 300-run mark.
“We batted really well as a group,” man of the match Raina said. “M.S. [Dhoni] and Shikhar had a good partnership. M.S. took the responsibility. And then I and Stuart had a good partnership.”
“Dhawal started off the bowling well, and me and Ash [Ashwin] followed up on it,” Raina said. “We played really well today, that’s the positive we will take from here.”
Mustafizur bowled Raina to finish with 2-57 and take his tally to 13 wickets in the series, which saw him named man of the series.
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