IND vs BAN | Reddy-Rinku take Tigers to the cleaners enroute India’s series sealing triumph in Delhi

Asked to bat first, India got off to a rolicking start with two boundaries from Sanju Samson and one form Abhishek Sharma in the opening over from Mehidy Hasan Miraz. However, Bangladesh shot back quickly with the wickets of both openers in consecutive overs before Nustaifuzr Rahman deceived Suryakumar Yadav for pace in the alst over of the powerplay with the score reading 45/3. Having seized the momentum, the visitors tried to shackle down the newly arrived Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh, and managed it succesfully for a brief period until all hell broke loose. Mahmudullah gifted the former, batting on a run-a-ball 13 at the time, a free-hit in the eighth over, and thus trigerred a catastrophic onslaught. Reddy smacked a six and a four within the next three balls before Rinku joined the party to dispatch Hossain for 24 runs in the ensuing over. 13 more followed in the next as Reddy reached a maiden international half-century off just 27 balls. However, his best was yet to come, the Andhra batter slamming three sixes and a boundary to punish Miraz for 26 runs in the 13th over. A Fizz cutter eventually spelled the youngster’s doom after a match-defining 74 off just 34 deliveries, thus also ending the 108-run stand which came at quicker than two run a delivery. Nevertheless, Hardik Pandya picked up exactly from where Reddy had left while Rinku heaved two boundaries and a maximum in the 15th to bring up his own fifty from 26 balls. Even though three wickets in the final over halted India in their tracks, the damage had already been dealt with a quick cameo from Riyan Parag adding to the carnage as India finished on 221/9.

In response, Parvez Hossain Emon made a statement with three boundaries in the opening over off Arshdeep Singh. However, the left-arm quick had the last luagh by scalping him in his following over before Washington Sundar and Varun Chakravarthy took care of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das respectively within the powerplay, the score reading 43/3. The asking rate had already shot past 12 by then and the pressure only cumlinated in more scalps as Abhishek got rid of Towhid Hridoy while Parag scalped Miraz for a strugglesome run-a-ball 16 shortly after the halfway mark. By the time Mayank Yadav had Jaker Ali hole out with a 148ks rocket, the score read a sorry 83/6 with the required run rate well over 16. Mahmudullah tried to play the role of a lone warrior with three lusty strikes in his 39-ball stay for 41 but it was not nearly enough as India sealed the series with a huge XX-run triumph.