3rd ODI abandoned after another Indian batting collapse

Mirpur: The third and final ODI between India and Bangladesh today was abandoned after frequent rains marred play on a day the visitors put up another shoddy batting display.

Having won the series 2-0, a third stoppage due to heavy downpour during the Indian innings ensured there was no chance of a clean sweep for the Men in Blue. Weather had played spoilsport in all the matches but today it became the decisive factor as even an efficient drainage system couldn`t ensure the start of the proceedings after India were reeling at 119 for nine in 34.2 overs with the match being reduced to 40 overs a side after a second stoppage. While the play had started after the earlier rain delays, a third spell of shower was enough for the umpires to call off the match. While the Indians scored marginally better with the willow from their 105 in the last game, it was another pathetic batting display where their technique against pace and swing along with the temperament to fight it out came under scanner. Cheteshwar Pujara (27) again turned out to be a failure in the shorter format while someone like Ambati Rayudu looked ill at ease against the pace and movement. Stuart Binny (25 no) helped the score get past the three-figure mark but that wasn`t enough. A few like Robin Uthappa and Ajinkya Rahane were out to poor strokes. It was another battle of attrition for the Indian top-order which was found wanting in the adverse conditions. Uthappa (5) went for an expansive drive and was caught by Nasir Hossain off Mashrafe Mortaza`s away going fuller delivery. Rahane (3) closed his bat face to a delivery from Al-Amin which reared up awkwardly taking a leading edge to Nasir at the slip. Rayudu`s (1) questionable technique against pace was again exposed as rookie Taskin Ahmed got one to nip back sharply after taking off from short of good length. Rayudu could only glove that delivery to Mushfiqur Rahim behind the stumps as India were left tottering at 13 for three. It soon became 16 for four as Manoj Tiwary (2), getting his first chance in the series, wasted a golden opportunity by chasing an Al-Amin delivery way outside the off-stump, offering a simple catch at second slip to Anamul Haque Bijoy. Skipper Suresh Raina joined Pujara, who was in a lot of discomfort against the pace of Taskin and the swing of Al-Amin. Raina decided to counter-attack as he hit three crisp boundaries in his run-a-ball 25 besides adding 41 runs in the process with the Saurashtra batsman. But Raina was finally gone when he got a gloved under-edge trying to sweep a Shakib delivery down leg-side. Wriddhiman Saha (16) got a couple of boundaries during his 32-run sixth wicket stand with Pujara, who was unable to even rotate the strike in order to release the pressure. Pujara's painstaking 63-ball knock finally ended when Shakib flighted one, which dipped and straightened, catching the right-hander plumb in-front. Akshar Patel (1) played an atrocious shot off a wide delivery from Taskin to edge it to Mushfiqur behind the stumps. India were tottering at 97 for eight staring at their lowest score against Bangladesh. But Binny's lusty blows ensured that India didn't face that ignominy in back to back matches. But that wasn't enough to get the team to a respectable total either.