Mehidy Miraz stars as Bangladesh beat India by one wicket
Mehidy Hasan Miraz starred as Bangladesh beat India by one wicket in the first One-Day International (ODI) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
Miraz built an unbeaten 51-run partnership off 39 deliveries with the last batter Mustafizur Rahman after Bangladesh were 136 for nine replying to India's modest total of 186.
Miraz remained unbeaten on 38 off 39 balls while Mustafiz made an invaluable contribution of 10 runs to help the Tigers take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Earlier, Bangladesh Twenty20 and Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan claimed a five-wicket haul and pacer Ebadot Hossain took four wickets to bundle out the visitors below 200 in 41.2 overs after asking them to bat first.
The star-studded Indian batting line-up with the likes of captain Rohit Sharma (27 off 31 balls) and Virat Kohli (nine off 15 balls) had a day to forget.
KL Rahul was the only Indian batter who looked in form, scoring 73 off 70 balls, an innings that kept India in the contest.
Bangladesh’s reply got off the wrong foot as opener Najmul Hossain Shanto was out for a golden duck in the very first ball.
One-down batter Anamul Haque also couldn’t stay at the middle for too long, giving an easy catch off Mohammad Siraj in the 10th over after making 14 off 29 balls.
Liton Das, who is leading the side in the absence of ODI captain Tamim Iqbal who is out injured, was then joined by Shakib.
The duo made up for Bangladesh’s slow start in the powerplay, adding 48 runs off 61 balls for the fourth wicket.
But the complexion of the match once again changed once Liton and Shakib departed in quick succession.
Both Liton and Shakib lost their wickets to Indian off-spinner Washington Sundar.
Liton, after making 41 off 62 balls, edged a ball to the keeper while Shakib was brilliantly caught at the covers by Kohli after scoring 28 off 39 balls as Bangladesh were reduced to 95-4 inside 24 overs.
The experienced pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah then formed a very sluggish fifth wicket partnership, adding 33 runs off 69 balls without hitting a single boundary.
The partnership ended when Mahmudullah got trapped leg before wicket for 14 off 35 balls in the last delivery of the 35th over bowled by pacer Shardul Thakur.
In the very next ball, Mushfiq chopped on a delivery from pacer Mohammad Siraj onto his stumps to depart for 18 off 45 balls.
The situation only worsened when Afif Hossain (six off 12 balls), Ebadot Hossain (0) and Hasan Mahmud (0) departed in the space of eight deliveries as Bangladesh were reduced to 136-9 and staring at a certain defeat.
But Miraz and Mustafiz then began their improbable rescue, which reached its conclusion in the 46th over when Miraz took the final remaining single and completed a famous win for the Tigers.
The second match of the ODI series will take place at the same venue on 7 December.
This is India’s first visit to Bangladesh for a bilateral series in over seven years.