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Sensational Chahar breaks Tigers heart


Bangladeshpost
Published : 11 Nov 2019 06:03 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 06:27 AM

 Pacer Deepak Chahar pro­duced the world-best six-wicket burst for just seven runs, including a hat-trick, as India defeated a self-destructing Bangladesh by 30 runs in the third and final T20I to clinch the series 2-1 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground in Nagpur on an electrifying Sunday night.

Chahar registered the sensational figures (6 for 7 in 3.2 overs) in a T20I match and became the first Indian to take a hat-trick in the shortest format of cricket and Shivam Dube (3/30) shared nine wickets among them to secure India's first T20 series win at home this season. Once India were into the Bangladesh lower-order batting, Chahar ran riot, taking a hat-trick to better Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis' six for eight by conceding one fewer run. From a winning position at 110/2, Bangladesh had been bowled out for 144 replying to India’s 174 for five.

Chahar and Dubey cut short Bangladesh’s despite a 48-ball 81 knock heroic innings by Mohammad Naim after captain Mahmudullah Riyad won the toss for the second time in the series and put India to bat on a slow pitch.

After threatening at once stage to take the game away from India through a 108-run partnership between a brilliant Mohamad Naim and Mohd Mithun, Bangladesh lost six wickets for 18 runs to lose the match. As long as Naim and Mithun were at the crease, Bangladesh had all the hopes of their first series win in India. But once they fell, Bangladesh too fell by the way side.

If the first two T20I matches of the series in Delhi and Rajkot were won by batsmen Mushfiqur for Bangladesh and India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma with their fine knocks, the final game in Nagpur saw the Indian bowlers emerging match-winners.

Chahar, who won the nan of the match and man of the series awards for his incredible six-wicket haul on Sunday, told a post-match presser that his hard work over the years finally paid off. "I hadn't thought something like this would happen. I've just been wanting to work hard. It's all god's help that I'm here. Today the plan was to bowl upfront with the new ball. I was told I'll be bowling the crucial overs. Happy the team management gave me that responsibility," he added.

Bangladesh would have wanted a solid start in chase of a competitive total but Chahar ensured that wasn't to be. He removed opener Liton Das for nine when the batsman tried to clear the on-side fence and Soumya Sarkar was caught at mid-off the very next ball, paying the price for failing to control his aerial drive. The visitors were reduced to 12/2 before Naim and Mohd Mithun staged a recovery act by putting on 108 runs. 20-year-old Naim dealt with the pressure brilliantly. In rebuilding the innings with Mithun, he did not forget to put the bad balls away. The frequency of easy offerings from Indian bowlers increased rapidly once the spinners were brought on in the middle-overs and they struggled to control the ball soaked in dew.

Mahmudullah complimented Naim saying he is a very talented batsman and it was good to see the way he bats and constructs his innings.

At the presser, Rohit Sharma acknowledged that it was the Indian bowlers who won the game and the series and complimented his bowling unit for their stupendous show.

"It was the bowlers who won us the game. I know how tough for the bowlers because of the dew factor. But this must be one of the best comebacks in this format for India," he said.

A dejected Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah said his side had their chances in the game but lost the plot in the middle overs. "We had our chances. (Mohammad) Naim and (Mohammad) Mithun's partnership was incredible to see but we lost wickets in the middle," he said. "Our seamers have been very good, execution was good and all of them bowled really well," Mahmudullah said.

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