Rohit's unbeaten 83 powers India to thumping win over Bangladesh

Chasing a target of 174 runs, India did not break much sweat and clinched victory with 82 balls to spare on the back of an unbeaten 104 ball 83 by skipper Rohit Sharma

Pic courtesy: IANS

Indian stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma`s unbeaten 83 off 104 balls powered his side to a thumping seven-wicket win against Bangladesh in their Super Four match of the ongoing Asia Cup at the Dubai International Stadium.

Chasing an easy target of 174 runs, India did not break much sweat and clinched victory with 82 balls to spare. Opting to bowl first, Indian pacers gave some early breakthroughs to the team as Bangladeshi openers, Liton Das and Nazmul Hossain Shanto, went back to the pavilion after scoring 7 runs each.

Shakib Al Hasan, along with wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim, made an effort to build a steady partnership, but it was Indian left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja who took four wickets at the crucial stages leaving the Bangladeshi side struggling to get runs. Another impactful spell with the ball came from right-arm pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. Both the bowlers scalped three wickets each to place India in a commanding position.

In the second innings, openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gave a solid start to the Indian side, accumulating a collective 61 runs for the first wicket. After the departure of Dhawan (40), Sharma kept the scorecard ticking and carried his bat throughout the innings as he remained unbeaten on 83. After Ambati Rayudu was dismissed for 13 off 28 balls, Sharma and MS Dhoni collaborated to help apply the finishing touches to the game with a 64-run stand.

India lost its third wicket after 35.3 overs after Dhoni perished having scored 33(37) in quest of a big heave. Sharma and Dinesh Karthik guided their side home with two singles off the first two deliveries of the 37th over. India`s comeback man Ravindra Jadeja, who produced an impressive performance with the ball, was adjudged Man of the Match. For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the right-hand batsman was the highest run-scorer with a total of 42 runs, followed by skipper Mashrafe Mortaza (26).