RECAP
Follow UsAll spark but no fire yet for Rohit
Except for the first game against Ireland, where he scored 52(37), Rohit Sharma still needed to notch up a big score in this World Cup. Against Bangladesh in Antigua, he got off the blocks quickly (scoring 23 off 11) but perished trying to hit Shakib Al Hasan for a six.
Lefties give India a middle-order impetus
Left-handed batters Rishabh Pant (36 off 24) and Shivam Dube (34 off 24) ensured that India’s run-scoring doesn't come down in the middle overs from 39/1 (in 3.4 overs) to 108/4 (in 11.4 overs) when Pant got out. That set the platform for Hardik Pandya to come and do the finishing job.
Hardik Pandya finishes on a high
Pandya continued his good World Cup, scoring 50 off just 27 deliveries, his fifth half-century in T20Is, proving all the doubters wrong. That helped India score 62 runs in the last five overs and take the score to 196/5 at the end of 20 overs.
Bangladesh’s strong but not-so-quick start
Tanzid Hasan (29 off 31) and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (40 off 32) ensured that Bangladesh didn’t lose quick wickets at the beginning of their chase. Still, they failed to hit boundaries consistently, as Bangladesh were just 67/2 after 10 overs.
And then Kuldeep Yadav happened
Playing just his second game in T20 World Cups for India, Kuldeep sprinkled his magic all over Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and blew away Bangladesh’s middle order by picking up 3/19.
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