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India survived a mighty scare before pulling off an incredible one-run victory over Bangladesh in a nerve-wracking low-scoring thriller to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the ICC World T20, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
- Scorecard
Defending a modest 146, India looked down and out for the better part of the match before pulling their act together in the final two overs to restrict Bangladesh to 145 for 9 and clinch an unlikely victory.
It was a piece of inspirational act by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who took his right gloves off when Hardik Pandya came in to bowl the last delivery with two runs required. Pandya bowled a fuller delivery wide off Shuvagato Hom who missed it before Dhoni sprinted to the stumps and broke the stumps to take this team to victory.
As Mustafizur Rahman rushed to steal the bye from the other end, the Indian skipper beat his younger opponent in a short sprint to whip off the bails to lead to an unbelievable finish as the entire M Chinnaswamy Stadium erupted in joy.
India stay alive in the race for the semi-finals with four points from three matches to be in second place behind New Zealand, who have made it through to the last four with three victories.
Credit should also be given to Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled six magnificent deliveries in the penultimate over when Bangladesh needed only 17 off 12 balls.
When Hardik Pandya was handed the ball for the final over, pacers Ashish Nehra, Bumrah, and spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin ad already finished their quota.
The dangerous Mahmudullah got one off Pandya's first delivery and Mushfiqur Rahim smacked the next through covers for a boundary bring the equation down to six from four balls.
To everyone's horror Rahim then paddled the next ball fine on the leg side for another boundary to bring the match in Bangladesh's hands with two runs needed from three balls for victory.
But he went for a big shot off the next ball and holed out to the deep midwicket fielder.
Mahmudullah, who was back on strike, then mistimed a full toss which was pouched brilliantly by Jadeja at the same position before 'Captain Cool' Dhoni once again provided the finishing touch.
Ashwin provided with the early breakthrough when he dismissed Mithun Ali (1) in his first over and the third of the innings. The batsmen jumped out to a delivery that was dropped short but did not get the required power or elevation and was caught by Hardik Pandya at long-on.
Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded a boundary off the first ball of the Bangladesh chase had a horrible day in office when he dropped Tamim on 15 when the left-hander miscued a sweep shot off Ashwin.
A distraught Bumrah was then smashed for 16 runs as if to add insult to the injury. First a slash through the point and then lofted over mid-on, followed by a deliberate thickish edge through third-man and a rasping cover drive.
It was a shooter from Ravindra Jadeja that kept low as Tamim (35) charged down the wicket but was beaten and Dhoni completed an easy stumping.
Sabbir (26) was batting well but a moment's indiscretion off a wide Raina delivery saw Dhoni effect a smart stumping to keep India in the contest.
Mashrafe Mortaza walked out ahead of the in-form Mahmudullah Riyadh as he looked to attack the spinners but he didn't last long and was bowled by Jadeja for six.
Shakib kept Bangladesh in the driver's seat as he hit a six each off Pandya and Jadeja before Ashwin got his wicket in his final over as India kept chipping away at the wickets.
Earlier, Bangladesh put in a much-improved performance with the ball to restrict hosts India to 146-7 in a World Twenty20 Group Two match on Wednesday.
India, under pressure after being beaten by New Zealand in their opening match, lost both openers in quick succession with less than 50 runs on the board after being asked to bat by Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza.
Rohit Sharma (18) was the first to fall, caught by Sabbir Rahman after skying a Mustafizur Rahman delivery in the sixth over.
Shakib Al Hasan trapped Shikhar Dhawan (23) lbw in the next over, to leave the hosts at 45-2.
Virat Kohli (24) and Suresh Raina (30) steadied the ship for India, adding 50 runs for the third wicket, but a disciplined performance by the Bangladesh bowlers kept the Indian batsmen under constant pressure.
Shuvagata Hom bowled Kohli before Al-Amin Hossian, who had been hit for back-back-sixes by Raina, rallied to dismiss the big-hitting Hardik Pandya and Raina with consecutive deliveries.
Pandya (15), hit two boundaries and a six before a diving Soumya Sarkar pulled off a stunning catch in the outfield to send him packing.
Hossian took a simple catch of a Mahmudullah delivery to see off Yuvraj Singh for three and Mustafizur Rahman struck again at the death to remove Ravindra Jadeja for 12 with the first ball of the last over to keep India below 150.
