Internet Desk: Shikhar Dhawan produced the innings of the tournament as he played a brilliant knock under pressure to lead India to a comprehensive 8 wicket win over Bangladesh to win the Asia Cup for a record sixth time. Man of the match Shikhar Dhawan scored a match wining 60 runs off only 44 balls that included 9 fours and a six . Virat Kohli too continued his good form remaining not out on 41 runs off 28 balls. Captain Dhoni promoting himself scored a quick fire 20 runs off only 6 balls to win the match for India with seven balls remaining.
Chasing a target of 121 in a match reduced to 15-overs-a -side, Dhawan and Kohli added 94 runs for the second wicket laying the platform for the Indian captain to finish off the match in style. India required 19 runs in the last two overs. Dhoni hit a a lethal six over deep mid-wicket off Al-Amin and another terrific blow over deep extra cover before finishing the match with another six that left the 25000 strong crowds at Sher e Bangla stadium spellbound in disbelief.
India were dealt with a blow early on in their run chase. Al Amin carried on his good work with the new ball as he gave Bangladesh an early strike getting rid of in-form Rohit Sharma caught at slips by Soumya Sarkar for only 1 run with India on 5 runs. At the other end Taskin Ahmed was also on fire as India could only manage 12 runs after 3 overs.
Things changed from the fifth over, as Abu Hider playing his first match of the tournament went for 14 runs. With Power play overs ending, Mashrafe Mortaza got Shakib Al Hasan into action and the Dhawan-Kohli duo took 15 runs off that over. After 10 overs, India were 71 for 1 and the match virtually ended in Shakib’s next over when Dhawan hit a conventional and a reverse sweep to dash Bangladesh’s hopes. Dhawan’s 50 came off 35 balls.
He was finally out caught at point by a diving Soumya Sarkar off Taskin Ahmed.
Earlier Mahmudullah Riyad played a cracker of an innings to set India a stiff target of 121 runs to win in the Asia Cup final at Mirpur. Riyad who came in at the fall of Mushfiqur Rahim in the 12th over with the score on 75/4 just played a blinder to take Bangladesh to 120 runs after 15 overs. Mahmudullah remained not on 33 runs off 13 balls with two hits to the fence and two towering six . Man of the series Sabbir Rahaman scored 32 off 29 balls but was more subdued than his usual self as wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end until Mahmudullah took the attack back to the opposition camp.Both of them strung a partnership of 44 runs off only 20 balls. Shakib al Hasan also chipped in with 21 runs off 16 balls.
Jasprit Bumrah (1/13) was exceptional at the death while Ravichandran Ashwin (1/14) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/25) also bowled accurately. But Mahmudullah’s slam-bang approach fetched the hosts 42 runs in the last three overs.
Nehra and Bumrah like every match, gave India vital breakthroughs in the five Power play overs, removing Soumya Sarkar (14) and Tamim Iqbal (13) respectively. After Power play, Bangladesh’s scorecard read 30 for two.
For Nehra, getting Soumya out was a sweet revenge after he went for three boundaries in the particular over. The crowd was stunned to silence in the next over when their big hope Tamim, who tried to play across the line, and was caught plumb in front of the wickets. Dhoni started the proceedings with Ashwin and brought him again after the end of Powerplay.
The dangerous looking Shakib paid for his pre-determined sweep shot as he offered simple catch to Bumrah at short fine leg off Ashwin. Bangladesh were reduced to 64 for three. Mushfiqur Rahim (4) couldn’t properly drag his bat in while going for the second run as Dhoni quickly whipped off the bails off a Virat Kohli throw from the deep. Skipper Mashrafe Mortaza was caught by Kohli at deep mid -wicket boundary off the very next ball trying to hoick Jadeja leaving the home team in total disarray at 75/5.
Indian captain MS Dhoni won the toss and put Bangladesh in to bat first considering the shortened over. India went in with the squad that beat Sri Lanka. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harbhajan Singh and Pawan Negi make way for Jadeja, Nehra and Ashwin .While the hosts made two changes. Spinning all-rounder Nasir Hossain and left-arm seamer Abu Hider was included in the side for the final. Both of them played their first games of the tournament.