The tour to Bangladesh is over. India came out of the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh with a 2-0 series victory. With many things that happened during the series here are some highlights.
Small Scores- Bat v/s ball
Out of all the five innings that were played, only once the score breached the 200-run mark. Three times the totals were in the 100s and an astonishing inning score of only 58! After the runs galore of IPL, the shortened One-Day International (ODI) series between India and Bangladesh was all about the ball doing the talking. There were only two half-centuries in the three-match ODI series. In the recent past, ODIs in the subcontinent have resulted in massive totals being scored. This series is definitely an aberration.
The Ball Boys
Stuart Binny’s – the Ball master
With figures of 4.4 overs, 2 maidens, 4 runs and 6 wickets, Binny entered ODI record books. Even if he does not achieve further glory in his international career, his name is etched in the annals of ODI cricket forever. Binny bowling figures are India’s best in an ODI innings and the ninth best overall. He helped India defend the lowest target (106) in ODI history with aplomb — India won by 47 runs. After such a performance, Binny is surely going to be part of India’s next ODI adventure.
Taskin Ahmed- New kid on the block
In a dismal series, where Bangladesh lost to a second-string India side, there might not be many positives. But Bangladesh unearthed a real talent in Taskin Ahmed. The right-arm fast-medium bowler destroyed the Indian batting line-up in the second ODI on his debut. His figures were five wickets for 28 runs. He bowled at a lively pace and got the ball to seam and swing. He got a further two more wickets in the third ODI, but the match ended in a no result due to rain.
It’s Raining- Hydro Power
Talking about rain brings us to… well rain! Each and every match in the three-match ODI series was affected by persistent rain. Both the first and second ODI had a Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) result. In the third ODI, one did not even see an innings being completed and that was due to persistent rain. One does have to state that the ground staffs were brilliant throughout the series. The ground was usually ready for play within minutes after the rain had stopped. But such weather conditions played a large part in the lack of big runs, as the swing and seam bowlers benefited.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s- The new Wall!
Cheteshwar Pujara did not come out with flying colours after the ODI series. This was seen as the perfect opportunity for him to make inroads into the Indian ODI side. But he only scored a total of 38 runs from the three matches. Out of that total, 27 runs came in the third ODI. Pujara played out 63 deliveries in his innings. He grinded it out when others did not last that long. Binny was the next best in terms of deliveries faced with 36 and Suresh Raina after that with 25. While Pujara did not get the runs [not many actually did in the series], he did show his mental toughness. His average and strike-rate have not been bettered to a great extent from the series as well.
