Team India 'got what they wanted' as skipper Rohit Sharma said out of the T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh, winning it by a handsome margin of 60 runs at the Nassau County Stadium in New York on Saturday, June 1. The Men in Blue won the toss and decided to bat first to get a good look of the newly built stadium and the pitch and how it will play. To their credit, the Indian players adapted well after a slow start and 180 seemed above-par on a sticky surface and with thick and slowish outfield, which could be a sign of things to come.
For India, Rishabh Pant was the highest run-getter on the day after walking in at No 3. Pant gave a good account for himself as he recovered from a slow start to punish the Bangladesh bowlers as his strokeplay was on display in full flow. One of shots that stood out amid his pyrotechnics was the no-look flick.
A middle-leg stump delivery on stumps from Soumya Sarkar was dismissed from its presence by Pant, who just crouched a little to flick it towards the fine-leg boundary for a four beating the short-fine leg fielder. Pant never looked at the ball after meeting it with his bat as after hitting it, he just knew that he got the desired result.
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Pant smashed a 32-ball 53 and gave another reminder why a top-order role could be the best for him in T20Is for India. However, captain Rohit didn't give any certainty regarding the batting order as he mentioned that Pant was promoted to No 3 just to give him an opportunity.
Pant's innings helped India get to a score of 182, which was eventually too much for Bangladesh to chase after they were reduced to 10/3. Arshdeep Singh with his swing early on in the innings troubled the Bangladesh batters. Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan, the two veterans did put on a rescue act but never looked like they were going for the target as India eventually won by 60 runs.
India play their first game of the tournament against Ireland at the very same venue.
