The Indian spinners bring back the Indian cricket team on the track in the final of Asia Cup 2018 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium (Dubai) after the centurion opener Liton Das provided a great start in the Bangladesh innings.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma decided to field first after winning the toss in the crucial final. Bangladesh openers finally provided a brilliant start as the openers Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz put a 120-run partnership.
While Das dominated over the Indian bowlers, Miraz scored 32 runs off 59 balls (3 fours). But since that partnership was broken, Bangladesh lost their next wickets in regular intervals.
Also read: Ravindra Jadeja Produced A Match-winning Run-out
Das remained still on the crease in those next tough periods and completed his maiden international century in 87 balls. Das scored 121 runs off 117 balls (12 fours and 2 sixes) and stuck to the crease till the 40th over, before losing his wicket on the 41st over through the stumping.
Also watch: MS Dhoni Helps Kuldeep Yadav To Take Wickets
Apart from the openers, the no.7 batsman Soumya Sarkar managed to reach the double-digit scores in that innings as he scored 33 off 45 balls (only four and only six) before losing his wicket through the run-out on 49th over. None of other Bangladesh batsmen even reached to the double-digit scores in that innings and Bangladesh was bundled out for just 222 runs in 48.3 overs.
Among the Indian bowlers, the left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav (3/45) picked up three wickets while the off-spinner Kedar Yadav (2/41) got two wickets. Also, the leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (1/31) and the pacer Jasprit Bumrah (1/39) took one wicket each.
Some key stats of the innings
- Bangladesh openers Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz provided a century partnership (120 runs) for the opening wicket. It is Bangladesh’s first ever century partnership for the opening wicket in last 27 ODIs as their previous century opening partnership in the ODI cricket was against New Zealand at Nelson on December 31, 2016 (Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes put 102 runs opening partnership).
- Bangladesh openers Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz provided a brilliant 120-run partnership for the opening wicket. It is the second best opening partnership in the Asia Cup final history. The record is 137 runs opening partnership between the Sri Lankan openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu against India at Colombo (RPS) during the 1997 Asia Cup final (on July 26, 1997).
- Bangladesh opener Liton Das scored 121 runs. It is the second highest knock by an individual batsman in the Asia Cup final history. The record is 125 by former Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya against India at Karachi during the 2008 Asia Cup final (on 6 July 2008).
- Liton Das also becomes the first ever Bangladesh batsman to score a century in any final of international cricket history. The previous record was 77 by Sabbir Rahman against India at Colombo (RPS) in the 2018 Nidahas Trophy final (T20 format) on March 18, 2018.
- Indian wicketkeeper MS Dhoni completed his 800 dismissals in international cricket career as a wicketkeeper. Third wicketkeeper to achieve this feat as the first wicketkeepers were former South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher (998 international dismissals) and former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist (905 international dismissals).
- Indian left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav had a bowling figure of 10-0-45-3. It is the second best bowling figure in the Asia Cup final history by an Indian spinner. The record is 3.2-0-12-3 by Kris Srikkanth against Sri Lanka at Dhaka in the 1988 Asia Cup final (4 November 1988).
Here are some Twitter reactions:
Last 25 overs, Bangladesh have made 81-7!!
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 28, 2018
Three run outs. Some poor shot selection. Bangladesh’s middle order has squandered the advantage the opening stand provided. Liton’s Ton might go in vain… #IndvBan #AsiaCup
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 28, 2018
Well done! India have responded with spinners @JadhavKedar and @yuzi_chahal! Brilliant fielding by @imjadeja! But no one has been able to stop the agile Liton Das! A spectacular 100! 💯 #AsiaCupFinal #INDvBAN
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) September 28, 2018
Third Umpire: Out
Dhoni: #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/o5inC63Bb7
— 🇮🇳 رومانا (@RomanaRaza) September 28, 2018
Life of bangladeshi fans:
2015: it was a not a no ball
2018: liton was not out
😂😂😂😂😂😂#INDvBAN— ravi kadyan (@ravi025rocks) September 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/SumaiyaBA/status/1045681733662724096
When Dhoni gets drs/stumping/run outs correct every time.#INDvBAN
Umpire- pic.twitter.com/P2cDKwEKX5
— ch€t@n (@trust_my_lies) September 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/ItsPukhtoogle/status/1045656638122864640
https://twitter.com/Holdthedoor19/status/1045697431726432257
Bangladesh rn: #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/OaGB3MquWD
— 🇮🇳 رومانا (@RomanaRaza) September 28, 2018
