India vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup Final at Dubai - India (223/7) beat Bangladesh (222) by 3 wickets
IND vs BAN, Asia Cup 2018 Final: Fireworks all around the stadium! Smiles in the Indian dressing room. Mashrafe Mortaza is dejected. Bangladesh came close but has suffered yet another narrow defeat. What a game! Worthy of a finale. It went right down to the wire and India will be more relieved than happy to pull it off. Seventh Asia Cup title for India! And they have to sweat hard to earn it. Chasing a target is never easy in a final and it looked a bit tough when they lost Dhawan and Rayudu quite cheaply. Rohit, however, showed his form and kept on scoring from one end. Along with Dinesh Karthik, the Indian skipper stitched in a partnership but once he fell, Bangladesh sniffed a chance. Although, MS Dhoni accompanied Karthik after that and steadied the nerves with a vital 54-run stand. These two planned the chase very nicely and at that stage, India were in control of the chase. (SCORECARD)India vs Bangladesh Final HIGHLIGHTS Ind vs Ban Asia Cup:
01.25 IST: India (223/7) beat Bangladesh (222) by 3 wickets in Dubai to clinch record 7th title. Rohit 48, Karthik 37, Rubel 2/26. Mahmudullah to Kedar Jadhav, 1 run. INDIA WIN! Mahmudullah fires in a full ball down the leg side, Jadhav swings his bat across the line but misses. However, the ball kisses his pads and races away towards fine leg.
01.17 IST: It indeed is Soumya Sarkar. He bowled one in the Nidahas Trophy final and conceded a six off the final ball. Redemption time? 6 needed off 6. Kuldeep Yadav on strike. Hold onto your breath, folks. Scratch all that. Mashrafe Mortaza has a change of heart. He has given the ball to Mahmudullah. Maybe, he got reminded of that final. Conference going on. Pressure written all over. Here we go...
01.12 IST: Kuldeep Yadav arrives.
01.11 IST: OUT! Mustafizur removes Bhuvneshwar for 21. Great catch by Rahim! Kumar is not waiting, he immediately starts to walk. Rahman with the goods. He angles across a shortish delivery outside off, Kumar tries to force it through the line but gets a thick outside edge behind. Rahim reacts swiftly to his right and grabs the catch. He tosses the ball up in celebration and this game takes yet another turn. Too close for comfort, this. India 214/7, need 9 runs in 11 balls vs Bangladesh (222)
01.06 IST: 11 needed from 16 balls. KEDAR JADHAV returns. Seems all right as he is not limping. India will hope that he finishes things off quickly.
01.06 IST: OUT! Rubel removes Jadeja for 23. Snickometer detects a massive spike and Jadeja has to walk back. Needless from him. Do Bangladesh still have a sniff? It is all happening in Dubai. A ball before, Jaddu could have been run out. Next ball, he is gone. A length ball, in line of the stumps, moving away, Jadeja backs away slightly and looks to go through the off side. Seems to have missed it but Rahim behind has heard something. He immediately runs down towards the umpire in celebration and furiously signals for the review when the wicket is not given. And dear me - Snickometer proves him right! India 212/6, need 11 runs in 16 balls vs Bangladesh (222).
01.04 IST: The review has been taken. Drama! Bangladesh look extremely confident. They reckon Jadeja has nicked it behind. Has he?
01.02 IST: EDGED BUT RUNS. Welcome runs for India! Rahman errs in his line and bowls it down the leg side. Bhuvneshwar does well to neatly deflect it off his pads to the fine leg fence. All the good work done in this over by the Fizz has gone down the drain. 13 needed off 18 now. IND 210/5 in 47 overs.
00.58 IST: Mustafizur Rahman is back on. He bowled a great spell against Afghanistan at the death to pull off a win. Can he do something similar tonight in the all-important finale?
00.54 IST: SIX! LOOK AT THE ENERGY THERE! A MUCH NEEDED SIX FOR INDIA. Pressure was building and Kumar has nailed his shot to release some of it, if not all. He attempted a similar one on the first ball but failed to connect then. Not this time. As soon as he gets one in his half, he makes room and lofts it nonchalantly over long off for a maximum. 20 needed off 27 balls. IND 203/5 in 45.3 overs.
00.47 IST: Mahmudullah is back into the attack. 32 off 36 balls.
00.46 IST: Four runs from the over. Mashrafe Mortaza to Ravindra Jadeja, 1 run. Switches to 'round the wicket and angles in a length ball on middle, Jadeja brings down a straight bat and pushes it to long on for a run. Mashrafe bowls out, 10-0-35-1 from the skipper. A decent effort. IND 191/5 in 44 overs.
00.41 IST: Rubel Hossain to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, no run. Spears it full and on off, a bit of inward shape, Kumar flicks it off the inner half this time to mid-wicket. Tight over, only one run from it. Equation - 36 off 42. IND 187/5 in 43 overs.
00.36 IST: Rubel Hossain is back into the attack. He has bowled very well in the final, so far. 7-2-14-1, his figures.
00.34 IST: FOUR! Straight like an arrow! This is a great shot by Jadeja. Islam is very full and around middle, 'Sir' strides forward with a straight bat and drills it back past the bowler for a rollicking boundary. The umpire there showed good footwork as he jumped to make way. First boundary of this partnership. Slowly but steadily they are taking India close. IND 185/5 in 41.4 overs.
00.32 IST: Nazmul Islam to bowl.
00.30 IST: 3 runs. Excellent running from Jadeja. Flatter and sliding down the leg side, Kumar tries to sweep and gets it away off the top half of the bat. It's fielded at fine leg and they take three. IND 178/5 in 41 overs.
00.26 IST: POWERPLAY 3 time. Now, five fielders can man the boundary lines till the end. Mehidy Hasan is back on. 51 required off 60 balls. The death phase begins.
00.23 IST: Mashrafe Mortaza to Ravindra Jadeja, 2 runs. Jadeja keeps India's hope alive. Bottom edge, misses the stumps! Lucky moment for Jaddu. Full and outside off, a hint of width, the southpaw throws his bat at that but gets a thick bottom edge. The ball goes back but just misses the off stump! Rahim dives to his right but is unable to stop it cleanly. By the time third man can get across, the batsmen cross twice.
00.17 IST: Interesting. The Indian team management has taken a bold decision. KEDAR JADHAV IS BEING CALLED BACK. Good call. You don't need batsmen getting out at the other end because of an injured batter at the crease. BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR comes in now. He can definitely bat. India need 56 from 72 balls.
00.15 IST: LEG BYES! FOUR! Crucial boundary for India. Down the leg side, Jadeja misses his tickle but the ball goes off his pads behind. Rahim dives, gets his right glove to it but can only parry it to the third man fence! IND 167/5 in 38 overs.
00.10 IST: Mashrafe Mortaza brings himself back on. 7-0-27-1 so far. Meanwhile, a bit of a drama. KL Rahul is out in the middle, talking to Jadhav. Before that conversation could go long, umpire Marais Erasmus asks him to go away! All of a sudden, the Indian dressing room is pacing up and down.
00.06 IST: Ravindra Jadeja walks in at number 7, replacing Dhoni.
00.05 IST: OUT! Mustafizur removes Dhoni for 36. Edged and taken! The Fizz removes the Finisher! Massive moment in the game. Well, with Jadhav struggling with his hamstring, Dhoni was cramped with regards to taking singles. Perhaps he thought he had to play the big shots now. Mustafizur lands this on a length outside off and gets it to move away a touch. Normally, Dhoni would just push it through the covers and get across to the other end. But here, with that pressure building on him mentally, he plays it very loosely, away from his body. India 160/5 in 36.1 overs, need 63 runs vs Bangladesh (222).
00.02 IST: FOUR! He is ready to test out his hamstring. Gets down, takes the ball on the full and sweeps it powerfully behind square leg and finds the gap. The stand moves to 21 from 28 balls.
23.58 IST: A bit of a break. That stretching of the hamstring might just be a bit more serious than it actually looked. The Indian physio is out in the middle and helping Kedar with his stretching. For a moment, KJ looked alright but then sat down. The physio is strapping his right thigh for now.
23.52 IST: Another change. Mustafizur Rahman is back. Wicketless so far, in 5 overs.
23.44 IST: SIX! Fine shot! Tossed up outside off, Jadhav dances out and sends this back straight as an arrow! Onto the sightscreen. 78 more needed from 106 balls. IND 145/4 in 32.2 overs.
23.38 IST: Well, Bangladesh needed that breakthrough, didn't they? It seemed like the two wicket-keepers or okay, DK is not an official wicket-keeper, India were cantering. The Men In Green will feel that if they can keep Dhoni stranded at one end, the others can be dismissed.
23.36 IST: Kedar Jadhav walks in now, at number 6, replacing Karthik. But the players have been asked to take a DRINKS BREAK.
23.35 IST: OUT! Mahmudullah removes Karthik for 37. Is Mahmudullah the man with the golden arm for Bangladesh? What a ball. Very full. Karthik walks forward and looks to flick the ball. But he misses the line totally and is struck on the boots. Looks plumb. Marais Erasmus agrees and raises his finger. Karthik does not review either, so must have missed the inside edge too. India still on top but Bangladesh will feel a bit better. 86 needed, 116 balls left, 6 wickets in hand. India 137/4 in 30.4 overs, need 86 runs vs Bangladesh (222).
23.30 IST: An unofficial drinks break. It's quite hot out there and conditions are really unforgiving. Need to keep yourself hydrated. There's a bowling change also. Rubel Hossain is back on.
23.23 IST: FOUR! 50-run stand comes up! Poor line by Mahmudullah, it's full and sliding down the leg side, Karthik gives it a better direction by sweeping it fine down the leg side for a boundary. This partnership is throwing Bangladesh's chances out of the window. IND 134/3 in 28.3 overs.
23.19 IST: Mahmudullah to Dinesh Karthik, 1 run. Flatter and on off, stroked down the ground to long off for one. IND 125/3 in 27 overs.
23.16 IST: Plenty of bowling changes on display here. Mahmudullah is inserted into the attack. 103 needed off 144 balls.
23.12 IST: FOUR! That's Dhoni for you. He's taken time to settle but he is delivering. Hurries down the track to take it on the full, uses his bottom hand to full effect and whips it through mid-wicket for a powerful boundary. IND 117/3 in 25.2 overs
23.08 IST: FOUR! Shot! Unexpected when India are playing so cautiously. That one was unstoppable or just like coach Shastri used to say, LIKE A TRACER BULLET! Flighted delivery landing full outside off, Dhoni shimmies down the track to smother the spin and muscles it through mid off. There is a fielder in the deep but it's hit so ferociously that he stood no chance. Blazed away.. IND 111/3 in 24.4 overs
* Mehidy Hasan is back into the attack. He went for 15 runs in his first two.
23.02 IST: FOUR! 100 up for India and a cracker of a shot by MS Dhoni. He's finally stepped up. Bangladesh are applying as much as pressure as they can, but not fielder could have stopped that one. IND 103/3 in 23.1 overs
22.57 IST: Some desperation this time. Dhoni steps down the track to a full ball and forces it towards wide mid on. Looks for a run but then returns. The fielder has a shy at the non-striker's end but misses. Anyway, DK had his bat firmly planted inside the line. However, his body was flying aerial to avoid getting hit.
* Double bowling change. Mustafizur Rahman is back for another burst. A crucial moment, this. 126 needed off 174 balls.
22.53 IST: SIX! Oh what a shot. It's come after a long time and this can bring some life back to the game. Karthik hitting the shots in Dhoni's presence. As soon as Islam serves a long hop, Karthik goes deep inside the crease and hammer-pulls it over wide long on for a biggie. IND 97/3 in 20.4 overs
22.44 IST: WIDE. An attempted bouncer which was well over head height. The umpire signals a wide.
22.41 IST: Full on middle, pushed down the ground. The fielder gets across to his left from mid on and puts on a lovely dive. A single taken.
22.36 IST: Huge, massive, ear-splitting shout for LBW! No, says the umpire and Rubel does not even think about the review. Oscar performance. Oscar performance. A length ball, around off, Dhoni looks to defend but misses and is hit on the pads. Replays detect an inside edge. A WICKET MAIDEN FOR RUBEL. His figures read 4-1-10-1.
* Mahendra Singh Dhoni walks in at number 5, replacing Rohit.
22.33 IST: OUT! Rubel removes Rohit for 48. Fantastic shot but caught! India have lost their skipper. Do Bangladesh think they have a chance? A short ball, there to be hit. Rohit swivels and pulls it with brute force. However, he finds Nazmul Islam to perfection at deep mid-wicket. That is a good catch under pressure. Not because it was taken with athleticism but because he is at the boundary. Now then. The middle order is here. 140 more needed from 200 balls. India 83/3 in 16.3 overs
22.28 IST: Excellent fielding! A short ball, on middle, Dinesh latches onto the pull shot and hits it through mid-wicket. The ball seems to be racing away but Mohammad Mithun gives it a terrific chase and puts in a wonderful dive. Manages to stop the ball cleanly and keeps the batsmen to a couple.
* So far, so good in terms of the match. Not totally one-sided, at least till now. India still have Rohit in the middle but at least Bangladesh have got into the Indian middle order with the game still alive. As the great Geoffrey Boycott says - always look at the score by adding a couple of wickets. Hmmm... say 79/2 becomes 100/5 - different ball game then.
* DRINKS ARE ONTO THE FIELD NOW.
22.22 IST: What was that!?! RUN OUT CHANCE, FUMBLE, SAFE!!! Everything happening out there. Pressure getting to both - batsmen and fielder.Nervy moment for both sides. Rohit drives it down the ground and initially calls for a single. Mustafizur comes charging in from mid off and then suddenly, Mr.Sharma sends Karthik back.
22.18 IST: SIX! Off the top edge! Bit of luck for the Indian skipper. Bit of luck for the Indian skipper. A furious short ball, Rohit takes it on, swivels and goes for the pull but the pace does him in. IND 79/2 in 14.2 overs.
22.13 IST: Rubel Hoss in ain to Dinesh Karthik, 1 run. Played to the point region by the batsman. They pick up a single overs.
22.04 IST: Rubel Hossain to Rohit Sharma, 1 run. One more length ball to end the over, this time Rohit plays it really late. Behind point it goes, towards third man, for a single. IND 58/2 in 11 overs.
21.57 IST: FOUR! Shot! Timing and placement. All class. Regal Royal. Great balance. Everything so good about this back foot punch. Weight on the back leg, eyes on the shortish delivery and ball meeting the middle of the blade. After that it was just a matter of seconds that it scoots through covers for a boundary. Magician.
21.49 IST: Dinesh Karthik is the new batsman.
21.48 IST: OUT! Mortaza removes Rayudu for 2. Caught behind! Terrific delivery by Mortaza. He has dismissed Rayudu cheaply. A length ball angling into the batsman from around off, Ambati tries to play at it with a straight bat but it catches the outside edge of his bat. Flies behind and Rahim grabs it with ease. Two down now, India. 177 runs needed in 255 balls. Game on. The Indian middle order has not impressed much of late. Add to it the pressure of the final and it becomes an even bigger task. India 46/2 in 7.3 overs, need 177 runs vs Bangladesh (222).
21.45 IST: Mashrafe Mortaza introduces himself into the attack.
21.42 IST: SIX! What a way to conclude the over. High and handsome! Mustafizur digs in a short delivery around off, Rohit picks the length immediately, rides the bounce and pulls it with authority. End result - it goes rocketing over square leg for a biggie. 8 from the over, runs continue to come. IND 43/1 in 6 overs.
21.36 IST: Rayudu in next.
21.35 IST: OUT! Nazmul Islam removes Dhawan for 15. Against the run of play, Bangladesh have a wicket! Dhawan is a big wicket. He has been in fine form in this tournament. A delivery which is full and in line of the stumps. Shikhar probably tries to heave it through the line over mid off but it takes the toe end of his bat. Flies straight to Sarkar inside the ring and he makes no mistake. Naagin dance is out. Bangladesh are delighted. India 35/1 in 4.4 overs, need 188 runs vs Bangladesh (222).
21.34 IST: FOUR! Well played! Nazmul fires this full and down the leg side, Dhawan paddles it fine, makes fine connection and it races away to the fine leg fence. IND 35/0 in 4.3 overs.
21.33 IST: SIX! Welcome into the attack! A short delivery first up, around off, Rohit keeps his weight on the back foot and sends it many a mile over long on for a maximum. The ground maybe big in size but not big enough for one of the cleanest strikers in international cricket.
21.30 IST: FOUR! Cracking shot! Poor length and line. Way wide outside off and there to be hit. Dhawan exercises his arms and smacks it through cover-point for a powerful boundary. IND 24/0 in 3.4 overs.
21.25 IST: FOUR! Mehidy is not learning from his mistakes. Drags his length short again and pays the price. It's around middle and Rohit smashes it behind square leg for a boundary. The offie is dealing with a quality batting pair and needs to be on top of his game. IND 116/0 in 2.3 overs.
21.23 IST: Mustafizur Rahman to Shikhar Dhawan, no run. On a length and outside off, it's been left alone by Shikhar. 2 from the over only. IND 12/0 in 2 overs.
21.19 IST: Pace from the other end! It's going to be Mustafizur Rahman to operate with the second new ball.
21.16 IST: FOUR! This is poor bowling! Mehidy once again bowls it short and this time it's on the pads of the batsman. Rohit loves it there and flicks it beautifully behind square leg. Nazmul gives the chase but fails to pull it back. So, both the openers have a boundary each now. IND 10/0 in 0.4 overs.
21.14 IST: FOUR! Slapped away! Hasan drags his length short and delivers it just outside off, Dhawan needs no second invitation as he goes back and spanks it through cover-point. Gets off the mark in style. IND 5/0 in 0.2 overs.
21.12 IST: One final time! The chase is about to begin. The Bangla Tigers are spreading on the field. Now, the Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, are seen entering the ground. They have been in sublime form. Can they provide yet another solid platform? For Bangladesh, it's going to be Mehidy Hasan to begin proceedings with the first new ball. A slip in place.
20.28 IST: Bangladesh all out for 222 in 48.3 overs against India in Dubai. Kuldeep 3/45, Jadhav 2/41, Liton 121. Rubel Hossain OUT! GONE! This is some exceptional death bowling from Jasprit Bumrah. As he has been in this last spell, he comes steaming in and fires a yorker on the stumps. Rubel Hossain makes room, looks to dig it out but it's too good for him. His stumps are rattled and that brings about an end to the innings.
20.26 IST: Rubel Hossain is the last batsman in for Bangladesh.
20.25 IST: Soumya Sarkar OUT! He is. Superb run out from the Indian, particularly MS Dhoni. He shows good awarness here. Sarkar awakwardly slaps the pulls through mid on. Takes one, and then calls for the second. Rayudu charges to the ball from the deep and fires it at the striker's end. Dhoni sees this, runs towards the stumps, collects the ball with the momentum and takes the bails off. He wasn't sure, but it's taken upstairs. Replays roll in and show that Soumya is just short.
20.23 IST: Run out appeal! Is he gone? Soumya Sarkar the man in question.
20.16 IST: Mustafizur Rahman is next in.
20.15 IST: OUT! Nazmul Islam run out for 7. Run out! Nazmul Islam is out of here. This is good bowling from Bumrah. He spears in another yorker around leg, hits the batsman low on the pads and a loud appeal goes up which is turned down. During all this, Islam takes off as the ball rolls to point but his partner Sarkar doesn't. Nazmul has to track back after coming more than halfway down the track but by this time he's gone for all money. Manish Pandey (sub) has so much time that he runs to the ball and takes the bails off with no trouble. Bangladesh 213/8 in 46.4 overs vs India in Dubai.
20.07 IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar also returns.
20.01 IST: Jasprit Bumrah to Nazmul Islam, 1 run. Another yorker, on leg stump, Islam looks to work it away but it goes off his boot to the square leg region. A leg bye is taken.
19.55 IST: Nazmul Islam walks into the middle next.
19.54 IST: OUT! Kuldeep Yadav removes Mortaza for 7. Kuldeep has bamboozled Mortaza completely to get a 3-fer! Classic deception to get rid of the Bangladesh skipper. He spots Mortaza using his feet and hence, bowls a googly on a flatter trajectory and it is outside off as well. It spins a long way away as Mashrafe swings wildly across the line probably not picking the wrong one. He ends up missing it completely. Dhoni behind does the rest, he will effect such stumpings in his sleep too. India keep on chipping away at the wickets. Can they bowl out Bangladesh before their allotted quota of overs? Bangladesh 196/7 in 42.5 overs vs India in Dubai.
19.52 IST: SIX! In the arc, out of the park! Slower through the air around off, Mortaza kneels on one knee and nails the slog sweep over mid-wicket. Deep in to the stand she goes. Wonderful hit.
19.48 IST: Mashrafe Mortaza is the next batsman in. Also, Yuzvendra Chahal to bowl again.
19.47 IST: OUT! Kuldeep Yadav removes Liton Das for 121. Superb work from MS Dhoni! Kuldeep bowls the wrong 'un around off, Das doesn't pick it up as he comes forward to block. Is beaten past the outside edge and his back leg drags out of the crease. Now, seeing this, and given how quick Dhoni is with the gloves, is a dangerous thing. MS whips the bails off and it's taken upstairs. Though, the Indian keeper signals it took him an extra second than usual due to the extra bounce. Anyway, the TV umpire has several looks at it and signals it out eventually. Strange, as when one looks at it so many times, the benefit of the doubt is usually given to the batsman. It's a good decision, mind. Liton did look out. Just something out of the ordinary from the usual norm. In any case, a wonderful knock from Liton Das comes to an end. Maybe just at the wrong time. Bangladesh 188/6 in 41 overs vs India in Dubai.
19.46 IST: Lightning quick hands from Dhoni and a referral for a stumping has gone upstairs. Touch and go from the looks of it. Let's see.
19.44 IST: FOUR! Loopy and right in the slot, Das clears his front leg and hammers it straight over the bowler's head. Beats the long on and finds the fence.
19.42 IST: Powerplay 3 has been signalled. A maximum of 5 fielders will be allowed outside the ring till the end of the innings. Also, Kuldeep Yadav is back into the attack.
19.37 IST: SIX! What a shot! Floated up, Sarkar walks down the track and swings across the line. Makes sweet connection on the slog and clear the mid-wicket rope with ease. BAN 174/5 in 39.1 overs.
19.32 IST: Kedar Jadhav to Soumya Sarkar, no run. Full delivery drifting in from around off, eased away to the cover area. Dot ball to end the over. BAN 166/5 in 38 overs.
19.25 IST: Soumya Sarkar Not out! Sarkar works it away towards backward square leg and takes off. Sarkar takes off, then turns back and the throw is fired in at Dhoni. He takes the bails off but doesn't have the ball in his hands as he does so. So Sarkar is safe and lucky too, because if Dhoni had collected it cleanly, he would have been gone.
19.23 IST: A run out appeal is taken upstairs. India don't look too confident though.
19.21 IST: Drinks are on the field. India have come back into this game well. From 128/1. Bangladesh slipped to 151/5. The game, however, isn't in anyone's favour for the time being at least. This next phase of play could determine which was the tide turns. Crucial juncture for both sides.
19.14 IST: Some issue out in the middle. The batsman has a problem with the tape Jadhav has on his right palm. He's asked to take it off by the officials after a discussion with all parties involved.
19.09 IST: Soumya Sarkar to bat next.
19.08 IST: OUT! Kuldeep removes Mahmudullah for 4. That's a good catch from Bumrah out in the deep. Bangladesh are suffering a bit of a collapse here. Tossed up around off, spinning in, it's quite slow through the air and Mahmudullah as a result doesn't connect well with the slog sweep. Skies it towards deep mid-wicket where Jasprit moves to his right and gobbles it up well, with a little slide at the end. The all-rounder could have delayed his shot a bit but went with the flow. The big boundaries in Dubai are proving fatal for Bangladesh. Bangladesh 151/5 in 32.2 overs vs India in Dubai.
19.05 IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mahmudullah, no run. Looks to tap this behind point but the placement isn't perfect. Finds the fielder. Jadeja there misfields, but doesn't concede a run. BAN 150/4 in 32 overs.
19.01 IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is brought back into the attack. He had a torrid first spell, can he make amends now?
18.55 IST: Liton Das hits maiden ODI century off 87 balls. Kedar Jadhav to Liton Das, a run. Maiden ODI ton for Das! He was dropped twice but he has done really well to capitalize on it. Fullish ball on middle, knocked down to long on for a run. Bangladesh 145/4 in 28.4 overs vs India in Dubai. (Read full story)
18.52 IST: Mahmudullah is the new man in.
18.51 IST: OUT! Mithun run out for 2. Take a bow, Jadeja! He is one of the best fielders in the world if not the best. Tossed up ball in line of the stumps, Das drives it hard towards extra cover. Ravindra moves to his left in a flash and dives full length to stop the ball. He spots that both the batsmen are at the same end (striker's end) and hence, has the presence of mind to throw it back to Chahal who takes the bails off. Jubilation for the Men in Blue while disappointment for the Bangla Tigers. Bangladesh 139/4 in 28 overs vs India in Dubai.
18.47 IST: Mohammad Mithun is the next batsman in.
18.46 IST: OUT! Kedar Jadhav removes Rahim for 5. This is a big, big breakthrough for India! It is Jadhav again who has spun his web around the opposition. Coming back to the ball, it is short around off and is asking to be hit. Rahim camps back and goes for the big pull across the line but the only mistake he makes is that he picks out the deep mid-wicket fielder to perfection. Bumrah doesn't need to move an inch and takes it with ease. The pick of the batsmen for Bangladesh fails this time. Bangladesh are losing their way. Bangladesh 137/3 in 26.5 overs vs India in Dubai.
18.41 IST: FOUR! Well played! Shorter in length, ample time for Rahim to rock back and cut it through covers for a rocketing boundary. Gets off the mark too.
18.36 IST: The man who is in great form, Mushfiqur Rahim, comes out to bat.
18.35 IST: OUT! Chahal removes Kayes for 2. The impact is umpire's call and Kayes has to make the long way back! Bangladesh don't lose the review but they lose another wicket in quick succession. Tossed up generously around off, Kayes leans ahead and tries to smother the spin but is hit flush on the pads. The Indians go up in unison and the umpire has no hesitation in raising his finger. Imrul walks gingerly to his partner and after some thought, challenges the decision. Time for replays. The question is whether it brushes his front pad before hitting the back pad and that is where impact might come into question. Yes, it did kiss it. Time for replays. Hawk Eye rolls in and the impact is umpire's call, before going onto crash into the stumps. A great phase of play for India. Bangladesh 128/2 in 23.5 overs vs India in Dubai.
18.33 IST: Seems like India have got another one. Kayes has been trapped in front of the stumps. Looks dead to the naked eye. The impact is the only thing which can save him.
18.23 IST: Imrul Kayes comes into to bat. He has been promoted up the order.
18.22 IST: OUT! Kedar Jadhav removes Mehidy Hasan for 32. The man with the golden arm has struck gold for India! He bowls a tossed up ball around off and there is no pace on it. Mehidy rocks back and tries to cut it away but mistimes it completely. Rayudu at cover-point stands his ground and pouches it safely. Brilliant captaincy from Rohit Sharma. He deliberately didn't keep anyone out in the deep and Mehidy fell into the trap. A brilliant opening has been cut short, 120 to be precise. Is this the opening India needed? Bangladesh 120/1 in 20.5 overs vs India in Dubai.
18.18 IST: FOUR! Another sweep behind square on the leg side and another boundary. Rohit Sharma looks a frustrated man. Das is down again and places it through backward square leg for the second one of the over.
18.16 IST: FOUR! Darted in on middle and off, not much turn on this. Liton Das leans forward and across and sweeps it through backward square leg for a boundary.
18.12 IST: Drinks break. A totally unexpected start from Bangladesh. Everyone thought early wickets would come, but the opening pair of Mehidy and Liton has powered past the three-figure mark, with the latter taking the charge and scoring a fifty. The Indian bowlers look clueless, and in desperate need of a wicket. They need one quickly too.
18.09 IST: FOUR! Plays this very late. Nicely done. Seeing the ball landing short, Das is on the back foot in a flash and cuts it late down to third man for a single. The 100-run stand comes up for Bangladesh. This is their second century stand for the opening wicket against the Indians in ODIs. When the first one happened, the Tigers had won that encounter. BAN 102/0 in 17.5 overs.
18.01 IST: FOUR! Nicely played. Short ball on the stumps, Das rocks onto the back foot in a jiffy and pulls it with a lot of power over mid-wicket for a boundary. BAN 90/0 in 15.3 overs.
17.57 IST: FOUR! Landed short and wide, Mehidy rocks on the back foot and cuts it wide of the point fielder. The dive is put in but to no avail. It races away to the fence for a boundary. BAN 84/0 in 14.3 overs.
17.54 IST: Ravindra Jadeja to Mehidy Hasan, no run. The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground.
17.48 IST: DROPPED! Das gets a second reprieve in this innings. This should have been taken though. Jadeja floats this up on off, Liton is down on one knee to play the big slog sweep and gets a top edge as he can't make proper connection. It lobs up towards mid-wicket where Chahal tracks back, gets his hands to it but can't hold on. Two run taken. Nobody is happy with that.
17.47 IST: FOUR and FIFTY! Liton Das scores his maiden ODI half-century. What a time to bring it up too and is some style as well. Welcomes Jadeja with a boundary. Too full outside off, drilled through the covers for a rocketing boundary. With the start he's got, he'll want to make it count now. BAN 72/0 in 11.1 overs
* Powerplay 2 has been signaled! Maximum of four fielders are now allowed outside the 30-yard circle till the 40th over. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav comes into the attack.
17.42 IST: A loud shout for an LBW but it falls on deaf ears! On a length on middle and leg, straightening a touch. Hasan shuffles across and tries to work it around but is hit high on the pads. An appeal ensues but the umpire stays put. India do not take the review.
17.38 IST: Tentative! Had he missed there, he was a clear candidate for LBW. Full-length ball, shaping in late. Liton comes half-forward and gets it off the inner half towards square leg. A run taken.
* Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back on.
17.36 IST: FOUR! Liton is putting tremendous pressure on India. What a shot. He's on 45. The Indians are feeling the heat of the final. A juicy full toss outside off, Das doesn't miss out as he opens the face of his bat and carves it past backward point for a boundary. Goes past his highest score in ODIs which was 41. BAN 63/0 in 8.4 overs
17.33 IST: SIX! Another one of the over and Liton Das has blown the roof off the place. Tossed up on off, Das clears his front leg and slogs it over cow corner to clear the ropes. BAN 58/0 in 8 overs
17.32 IST: Good running! Tossed up ball, Mehidy clips it against the spin through mid-wicket and calls for two. Takes the rocket arm of Jadeja on and gets back home successfully.
* 50 up for Bangladesh. A good start for the underdogs.
17.31 IST: SIX! Amazing! A sweep shot and goes all the way. Chahal isn't amused. BAN 48/0 in 7.2 overs
17.28 IST: FOUR! Shot! It exudes confidence. Brilliant stuff by Liton. Bumrah spots Das using his feet and he shortens his length. Das pulls it hard over mid-wicket to find the fence. BAN 41/0 in 7 overs
17.25 IST: Three runs conceded of Chahal's over. Good bowling and brilliant fielding. BAN 36/0 in 6 overs
17.23 IST: Ooh... that was close! The flipper from Chahal around off, Mehidy goes for a booming drive but gets a bottom edge that just about kisses the off stump.
* Time for spin pretty early. Perhaps for the first time in the tournament, the two pacers have failed to dictate terms in Powerplay 1. Yuzvendra Chahal to roll his arm over.
17.21 IST: FOUR! Another One! This time to fine leg and the fielder is just short of saving that. Poor delivery and duly punished! Length ball on the hips, all Das has to get a tickle on it and he does so. No chance for Jadhav at fine leg to cut it off. BAN 33/0 in 4.5 overs
17.20 IST: FOUR! Blasted. Short pitched ball and it's been punished. Bumrah is looking a bit rattled, hasn't found his rhythm yet. Short ball coming at a good height to Das. He swivels across and pulls it in front of square leg to pick up a boundary. BAN 29/0 in 4.4 overs
17.17 IST: FOUR! What a well-played shot by Mehidy to sweeper cover. That will do his confidence a world of good. He is a very capable batsman. In the Under 19 World Cup, he used to bat at the top so he has experience. BAN 25/0 in 4 overs
17.15 IST: FOUR! Not that convincing but he will take it! On a length, angling in, Das runs down the track and drags his heave through mid-wicket to find the fence. BAN 19/0 in 3.1 overs
17.12 IST: A bit of miscommunication but no harm done! Length ball outside off, tapped towards Jadeja at backward point. Liton takes off and stops a bit but then decides to get going. Ravindra has a shy at the striker's end but misses.
17.11 IST: Good running! Two runs taken. BAN 12/0 in 2.4 overs
17.07 IST: FOUR! Edged but safe! Mehidy would have had his heart in his mouth. A length ball on the fifth stump channel, seaming away. Hasan fishes at it away from his body and gets a thick outside edge. Dhawan at first slip dives to his right but the ball lands in front of him and goes past him to the fence. BAN 8/0 in 1.4 overs
17.05 IST: A rush of blood from Mehidy! He needs to keep his composure. Good length ball well outside off, moving away. Hasan slashes at it but misses.
* Jasprit Bumrah to bowl with the second new ball.
17.07 IST: Full length ball around off, a bit of nibble in the air. Mehidy comes forward and defends it nicely. A good start for Bhuvi, 3 from the first over.
17.03 IST: DROPPED! That was a brilliant effort from Karthik though, would have been a stunner had that be taken. A good length ball outside off, Das tries to glide it down to third man but ends up playing it very fine.
17.01 IST: A bit fuller on the fifth stump channel and the ball swings away. Mehidy gets to the pitch of the ball and runs it down towards third man to get off the mark as well.
* Surprise, surprise! Mehidy was the highest scorer for them in the previous game against India and hence, the decision to give him a shot at the top. Two slips in place. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to steam in with the first new ball. Here we go...
17.00 IST: The teams are out for their respective national anthems. After the completion, we are all set to go. Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan will open the batting for Bangladesh.
16.59 IST: The big guns are back for the Men in Blue. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah return to the playing XI. KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed and Deepak Chahar are the ones who miss out today.
16.52 IST: India skipper, Rohit Sharma, says that they will field first. Adds that they have done that throughout the tournament. Mentions that fielding first suits them and there is no reason to change that. States that they knew it will be a challenging tournament but his boys have responded brilliantly. Adds that this is the last hurdle to cross. Reckons that the first goal was to qualify for the final. Informs that the five guys who missed out in the last game are back.
16.49 IST: Bangladesh skipper, Mashrafe Mortaza, credits his boys for they way they have performed so far. Adds that today is a big day and they have to give their best. Mentions that Mominul Haque misses out and the left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam comes in so they are going in with five bowlers. States that India are the No. 1 side but if they give it their all, anything can happen.
16.45 IST: PITCH REPORT - Ramiz Raza and Sunil Gavaskar are out in the middle assessing the surface. The former says that it looks very good for batting. Gavaskar adds that India will like this pitch. Feels that the ball tends to skid on better in the second half. Mentions there was some turn for the Afghan spinners in the last game here and also for Jadeja. Adds that the track might crumble a bit and it will aid the slow bowlers. States that Bangladesh used Sarkar very well with the ball. Reckons that they have strong desire and that will help them a lot in the final. Ends by saying that the batsmen will more or less enjoy themselves.
16.40 IST: Bangladesh Playing XI: Liton Das (w), Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman
16.35 IST: India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (w), Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
16.30 IST: India win toss, opt to bowl against Bangladesh at Asia Cup Final.
15:40 IST: Team India depart for Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
15.30 IST: Hello and welcome to our Live Blog of the Asia Cup 2018 Final between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Stay tuned as we bring all the latest action.
Brief Preview:
The date is set and the venue is booked. India vs Bangladesh in the finals of the 2018 Asia Cup. The Men in Blue will be aiming to reassert their continental supremacy while injury-hit Bangla tigers will hope to shrug off stage fright when the two sides square off in the grand finale at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. (ASIA CUP 2018 FULL COVERAGE)
A passionate and determined Bangladesh turned out to be the party-poopers on Wednesday as they wrecked the prospects of an India-Pakistan summit clash with a gutsy performance despite losing key players to injury, to knock out the Green Gang.
On paper, India will remain overwhelming favourites to win the tournament for a record seventh time while Bangladesh will be hoping to be third-time lucky in a summit clash. (Read Full Preview)
