India vs Bangladesh: MS Dhoni sprints, Men in Blue win in photo finish
We know that MS Dhoni is the quickest Indian runner with the pads between the wickets. Luckily for India, it was he who was running frantically towards the LED stumps in the final delivery. He has this unique way of running – a sort of jagged dash, heaving his body from one side to another, the feet springing off the toes, and there he was rushing across with an outstretched right hand. He didn’t want to throw with the gloves on and he didn’t have the luxury of time to take it off. Mustafizur Rahman was in a mad dash of his own from the other end. A footballer while growing up, he used to sprint on paddy fields near his home with the ball on his toes. Both men were running towards each other. (STATS || POINTS TABLE || FIXTURES)
It was another Dhoni mad scramble that had perhaps led to this state in the first place. Not really, but hey, don’t let facts get in way of some romance. It was the final delivery of India’s innings, and Dhoni had hit the ball to long-on and wanted two.
For some reason, not surprisingly as he has done it in the past too, R Ashwin didn’t want the second run, and even put his hand up. Dhoni was coming anyway, and Ashwin eventually decided to get across. The throw should have been at the non-striker’s end at Ashwin but for some inexplicable reason it was directed at Dhoni, who of course made it. That gave India one run, which proved the difference between a win and a super over.
Any time these two teams meet these days, there is some friction The social media battle, and promotional messages of broadcasters, has been on between the fans for a while and it had reached the cricketers as well. On March 13, R Ashwin was in a twitter joust with a Bangladeshi fan ahead of their game against Bangladesh.
DHONI: We didn’t want Pandya to bowl a yorker
“If Bangladesh win,the whole country will be happy but if Oman does cricket will be happy,” Ashwin tweeted to which the fan responded with, “I reckon you praying for Oman to win as you don’t wanna face the Tigers!!!!” As ever, Ashwin went for the last word, “I wanted to archive your tweet,then thought for a minute and decided it might not be worth my time.”
Ashwin spell
He might really have got the comeuppance on twitter last night but luckily for him, India just managed to get across. He certainly played his part in that. Four quality overs of off spin for two wickets that included the vital wicket of Shakib Al Hasan in the first ball of the 13th over. Shakib was in control until then, smashing two pressure-relieving sixes, when Ashwin was brought on. He let it rip, the ball twinkled across, drifting in towards Shakib who was just trying to defend.
RELIVE: How India pulled it off in the last over
But the ball gripped, turned and chipped the outside edge enroute to the slip.
Even at that stage Bangladesh were ahead, needing 50 from 47 balls and five wickets in hand. But this is a team who can be brittle when pressure is squeezed upon them and it slowly began to show. Not immediately after Shakib, though, as Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah added 31 runs in 5.5 overs until Sarkar was done in by a full toss.
The full toss was certainly the toast of the night. Sarkar swatted a Nehra full toss to long-on and there was to another crucial wicket to another full toss in the final over. Rewind to the second ball of the final over.
Frantic finale
Ten runs needed and after a lengthy chat with Hardid Pandya, Dhoni set the field. Short fine-leg was in, so was square-leg, and it was clear that Pandya wasn’t going to bowl a bouncer. But Rahim teased by walking right across the stumps, and Pandya pushed it wider outside off. Rahim, though, had held his cards well, and his balance, and adjusted quickly to smash it to extra cover boundary.
PHOTOS: Best frames from the tense contest
Six from four now. And Rahim tip-toed to his right, and went for a paddle lap that he didn’t quite connect as well as he would have liked but it was enough to beat a lunging Dhoni and ran away to the boundary.
Two from three and Rahim has been the captain of the team in the past and can hold his nerves. Another lengthy chat, and short-fine leg and square-leg were sent back to the deep. Barring a double bluff, it seemed it would be a short ball, especially after the fate of the last two fuller deliveries. It was short but Rahim pulled it straight to deep midwicket. Pandya let out a deep breath, even as Rahim’s face contorted in pain, and he walked away smashing his bat against his pad.
WATCH: India seal thriller
Two from two now and surely Mahmudullah won’t blow it away. A full toss arrived but Mahmuddullah was no Javed Miandad and he swiped it to deep midwicket where Ravindra Jadeja held on to his second catch of the over. Cue tears in the camp of Bangladesh fans in the stands. A lady bawled, the man painted like a tiger sat sullen but there was still one ball left. Perhaps, they know their team the best.
The packed off-side field now suggested that it was going to be a delivery well outside-off but Shuvagata Hom wasn’t ready. He still took a traditional stance on the leg and middle and reached out for the cut but failed to connect.
But Mustafizur was quick in thought and feet, and he ran like a wind. As a kid, once he switched to cricket from football, he would sit on the back of his brother’s bike for the 35-kilometer journey to play cricket. It has been a hard-earned career and he wasn’t going to hand the game to India. Mustafizur ran, Dhoni ran and the game ran away from Bangladesh.
