On a bustling cricket evening in Gwalior, India’s T20 champions demonstrated their sheer dominance with a resounding seven-wicket victory against Bangladesh, asserting their strength at the new venue on Sunday. Riding high on both aggressive pace bowling and explosive batting, India left no stone unturned in putting forward an exemplary display that lived up to the championship title awarded earlier this year.
Bangladesh, upon winning the toss, hesitated to make an authoritative claim, allowing India to put them on the back foot early on. Arshdeep Singh, alongside Varun CV, capitalized on this, orchestrating a disciplined bowling attack that shackled the visitors, eventually restricting them to a meager 127 runs. Arshdeep Singh showcased his mettle, picking up three crucial wickets in a display that left the audience in awe.
From the outset, it was clear that Bangladesh struggled to find their rhythm. Litton Das was the first to succumb to the pressure. He attempted an ambitious top-edged shot off Arshdeep’s delivery, only to find the safe hands of Rinku Singh, leaving Bangladesh at a shaky start. The debutant, Pervez Hossein Emon, injected a flicker of hope, smashing a six off Hardik Pandya in the subsequent over. However, his innings was short-lived as Arshdeep returned to claim his wicket in the third over as well.
While the spectators eagerly waited for the debut of India’s promising bowler, Mayank Yadav, they were not disappointed. Yadav’s maiden over during the critical PowerPlay phase was nothing short of spectacular as he managed to hold Towhid Hridoy at bay. Varun CV, returning to T20I after a lengthy 86-game hiatus, reaped the benefits of Yadav’s tight over, claiming Hridoy who succumbed with a misdirected shot that landed comfortably in Hardik’s hands at long on.
The rapid pace introduced by Yadav, reminiscent of his striking performances in this year’s IPL, proved to be Bangladesh’s undoing. His remarkable entry was soon rewarded with the maiden T20I wicket of veteran Mahmudullah, further hampering the visitors’ scoring ambitions. Despite their desperate attempts, Bangladesh continued to tumble under the steady wicket-taking strategy of Varun CV, who masterfully cleaned up Jaker Ali with a vicious googly, sealing a third wicket and marking his return with an impressive 3/31.
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Mehidy Hasan Miraz valiantly tried to lend some credibility to the innings, dragging the score past the 100-run threshold with a steady 35 runs not out. Yet, a devastating double-wicket over in the 18th dismissed any hope of reaching a defendable score. The 19th and final over saw Mayank Yadav finish his debut strongly, allowing just three runs and paving the way for Arshdeep to wrap up the innings by dismantling Mustafizur Rahman to conclude with outstanding figures of 3/14.
India’s response with the bat was nothing short of a masterclass in PowerPlay aggression. Sparking the chase, Sanju Samson showcased elegant strokes, including a memorable straight drive that set the tone. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma contributed to Taskin Ahmed’s forgettable evening by launching a six straight down the ground. Despite Sharma’s run-out in the very next over, India maintained a blistering run rate, pocketing 15 valuable runs.
Suryakumar Yadav brought his distinctive flair to the crease, delivering a sequence of unorthodox strokes that repeatedly found the boundary. His fiery innings included inventive slaps for six that left Taskin in tatters. Though Suryakumar departed in the sixth over, he ensured India ended the PowerPlay with an imposing 71/2, a historic feat against Bangladesh in T20 internationals.
Following a swift stutter with the loss of Samson, India refused to relent. By the 10th over, the scoreboard read a formidable 106/3. Superstar Hardik Pandya then proceeded to administer the denouement, striking a no-look ramp shot for four followed by another four and a towering six, thus completing the pursuit in just 11.5 overs with an unbeaten 39 off merely 16 balls.
This victory saw Bangladesh 127 all-out in 20 overs (Mehidy Hasan Miraz 35*; Arshdeep Singh 3-14, Varun CV 3-31) outplayed by India who registered 132/3 in 11.5 overs (Hardik Pandya 39*, Suryakumar Yadav 29; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 1-7), etching a comprehensive 7-wicket triumph and setting the stage for potential further dominance in the series.