Senior-most campaigner available for the tough tour, Mushfiqur Rahim takes the center stage for crisis-hit Bangladesh and give them some breathing space in smog hit capital during the first Twenty 20 International of the three-match series here at Arun Jaitley stadium on Sunday, beating Rohit Sharma-led Indian team by 7 wickets.
In the 1000th Twenty 20 international game, defying all odds and breaking the duck of eight defeats, Tigers finally got their moment in front of close to 25 thousand people gathered here at Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Chasing the target of 149 runs to win, the visitors never looked in trouble during the chase and reached the target in 19.3 overs.
Former skipper Rahim, who failed to take his side past the finish line in the 2016 T20 World Cup match at M Chinnaswamy, kept his nerve calm this time and made full use of the dropped catch by Krunal Pandya in the third ball of 18th over to finish the game.
He remained not out on 60 runs from 43 balls which included 8 fours and 1 six.
In reply to hosts 148, Bangladesh too suffered an early setback like India in the first over, as opening batsman Liton Das was caught by KL Rahul for 7 runs in four balls off Deepak Chahar.
But his opening partner Mohammad Naim (26 runs in 28 balls, 2 fours and 1 six) and one-down Soumya Sarkar (39 runs in 35 balls, 1 four and 2 sixes) then added 46 runs for the second wicket in 42 balls to lead the side back into the game before the young debutant was caught by Shikhar Dhawan in Yuzvendra Chahal’s first over.
Mushfiqur Rahim enters the field to bat at four and he along with Soumya Sarkar played some good cricketing shots to take visitors close to the first-ever T20 I victory over India in nine games.
The duo added 60 runs in 55 balls for the third wicket and then after Sarkar’s dismissal (bowled by Khaleel), the experienced wicket-keeper batsman took the lead role and make the most of dropped chance by Krunal Pandya near the boundary line to script Tigers’ one of the most memorable wins in the shortest format of the game.
He hammered Khaleel Ahmed for four back to back boundaries in the penultimate over to put his side on the cusp of victory and with 4 runs needed off the last over, skipper Mahmudullah finished the business with a six between the mid-wicket and long-on in the third ball.
For India, Chahar, Chahal and Khaleel got a wicket each for 24,24 and 37 runs respectively.
Earlier batting first after losing toss, Indian batsman failed to impress in slow Kotla track but an astonishing late firework by two left-handed bowling all-rounders Krunal Pandya (15 runs from eight balls, one four and one six) and Washington Sundar (14 runs from five balls, two sixes) , lift India to fighting total of 148 runs for loss of 6 wickets.
India started in style with skipper Rohit Sharma (9), who is now the leading run-scorer for Men in Blue in this format of the game and also the most capped player, scored boundary in the first ball of the match but the right-handed batsman was out lbw by Shafiul Islam in the last ball of the same over, giving hosts an early setback.
KL Rahul came to bat at number three and he along with local boy Shikhar Dhawan keep the scoreboard ticking but the duo struggles to get boundaries.
At the end of the first six overs, India was 35 for 1, with only three boundaries coming to the five overs.
Bangladesh introduced right arm leg-break 19-year old Aminul Islam in the first over after the powerplay and the young leggie got rid of KL Rahul (15 runs in 17 balls, 2 fours) in the third ball of his spell, the Karnataka opener was caught by Tigers captain Mahmudullah Riyad.
Shreyas Iyer enters the field to bat at four and he gets into action straight away hitting a flat six over deep extra cover in the last ball of Aminul's over.
India’s first fifty runs came in 7.4 overs when Shikhar Dhawan punched a four on the short fine leg to Soumya Sarkar.
Shreyas was looking in good touch and in the ninth over of innings, he again hammered Aminul to a big six, this time straight down the ground to pace up India’s scoring rate.
By the end of 10 overs, India managed to reach 69 runs for the loss of two wickets.
In the eleventh over of the innings, Shreyas Iyer once again tried to go for a big hit against Aminul Islam but this time the Bangla teenager got lucky and the Mumbaikar was caught near the boundary line by debutant Mohammad Naim.
He scored 22 runs in 13 balls which included one four and 2 big sixes.
After his departure, Rishabh Pant came to the crease and all the attention shifted to the two local lads to take India forward, but the duo could only manage to add 26 runs in 25 balls for the fourth wicket.
Dhawan was the fourth to get out. In an attempt to steal a single, he was sent back to the pavilion by Mushfiqur Rahim, who made no mistake to quickly dislodge bails at the striker's end after a good throw by Mahmudullah.
Shikhar got out in the second last ball of 15th over. He made 41 runs in 42 balls (3 fours and 1 six).
After his departure at India’s total of 95 runs, Shivam Dube enters the field for the first time in international cricket, but his stay was short-lived and he was sent back to the pavilion by Afif Hossain, who took a brilliant catch of his own bowling. Dube played just four balls in his maiden outing and scored one run.
India’s 100 runs came in 15.4 overs and at the end of 16, India's scorecard was stuck at 102 for the loss of five wickets.
It was an ideal condition for Rishabh Pant to prove his worth in the national colours as he was the only recognized batsman left at the crease, but he again disappointed and was caught out for 27 runs in 26 balls near the boundary line in second ball of the penultimate over.
With only 10 balls left in the innings, it was time for Krunal Pandya and Washington Sundar to play some short but important cameo. And they did the same by scoring 28 runs in the last 10 balls remaining.
The left-hand duo hammered Shafiul Islam for 14 runs in the 19th over, in which Sundar smashed six at mid-wicket.
And then produce 16 runs from the last over bowled by Al Amin Hossain. Krunal Pandya finished the proceedings with a big six over mid-wicket in the last ball of the innings.
For the visitors, 19-year old leg spinner Aminul Islam and pacer Shafiul Islam got two wickets each for 22 and 36 runs respectively. While Afif Hossain impressed in his spell of three overs, giving just 11 runs and getting rid of Shivam Dube.
Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah used eight bowlers for the allotted 20 overs.