5 Takeaways as India thrash Bangladesh in the 3rd ODI
India trumped Bangladesh by a huge margin of 227 runs to avoid an embarrassing 3-0 whitewash against a relatively weaker Bangladesh side. The Indian Team finally realised their true potential, producing a ruthless performance to overcome the Bangladeshi challenge.
Put into bat at the Zarur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium after Bangladesh won the toss, India were off to a shaky start as veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan got out early for the third consecutive time in the series. What followed was an unprecedented assault from the pair of Virat Kohli and Ishaan Kishan, adding 280 runs for the second wicket, smashing the Bangladesh bowlers to all corners of the park. Ishaan Kishan, who came in as a replacement for the injured Rohit Sharma, was the star of the show as he scored a splendid double-century. Virat Kohli on the other hand, ended his century drought with a measured knock. Some lusty blows by Washington Sundar towards the end meant that India finished at a whopping 409/8 in their 50 overs.
Chasing 410, Bangladesh were never really in the game as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. None of the batters even crossed fifty as Bangladesh were bundled out within 34 overs for a paltry 182 runs, giving India a splendid 227-run win.
Here are the 5 Takeaways from Bangladesh's humiliating defeat in the 3rd ODI of the series.
#1 Kishan scores a historic double-century for India
Brought in as a replacement for the injured Rohit Sharma, Ishaan Kishan was expected to give the team a quick start. However, what followed was an unimaginable display of quality strokeplay by the youngster. Kishan smashed the hapless Bangladesh bowling line-up to all corners of the ground, bringing up his maiden hundred in 85 balls. The youngster was not finished yet, inflicting sheer carnage upon his opponents, bringing up his second century in just 41 balls. Completing his double-century in just 126 balls, the Mumbai Indians star wrote his way into the record books as the fastest double-centurion in international cricket, beating Jamaican legend Chris Gayle by a huge margin of 12 balls. His entertaining knock consisted of 24 boundaries and 10 maximums. With this innings, Ishaan Kishan has surely made a strong case for himself to be a regular feature in India's ODI side.
#2 'King Kohli' overtakes Ricky Ponting to become the second highest century-maker in international cricket
While Ishaan Kishan stole the show, 'King Kohli' scored a fine century to end his 1214-day century drought in ODI cricket. Virat Kohli made the most of the reprieve, handed over to him by opposition captain Litton Das as he dropped a sitter at mid-wicket when the Indian maestro was batting on just 1. Kohli anchored the Indian innings brilliantly, ensuring that the young Kishan got the bulk of the strike and did not play a rash shot to get out. It seemed like Kohli had turned back the clock as he brought up his 44th ODI ton off just 85 balls. 'The King' overtook former Australian Captain Ricky Ponting to bring up his 72nd international century, becoming the second-highest century maker in the history of international cricket. The Indian star is second only to his idol Sachin Tendulkar with his legendary tally of 100 centuries.
#3 Wasington Sundar proves his worth as an all-rounder yet again for India
Washington Sundar has been mighty impressive in recent months, putting in crucial performances with both bat and ball for India. Post the heroics of Virat Kohli and Ishaan Kishan, India looked set to cross 400 runs. However, following the dismissal of Ishaan Kishan, India suffered a mini-collapse, losing 4 wickets for 39 runs. India needed a strong finish to post a total in excess of 400 and that was ensured by Washington Sundar, who played a useful cameo, scoring 37 runs off just 27 balls. The youngster came back with the ball to pick up the crucial wicket of the experienced Mahmadullah in the solitary over that he bowled. While his performance in this ODI might be inconsequential, considering the sheer scale of the victory, Sundar is becoming a useful player for the Indian side.
#4 Indian bowlers put in a quality display
While any bowling attack will look lethal when the opposition is chasing a total in excess of 400, the Indian bowlers did exceptionally well to bowl out Bangladesh for 182 runs on a flat wicket. All Indian bowlers picked up at least one wicket as Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals. While Shardul Thakur emerged as the star bowler, picking up three wickets, the likes of Axar Patel and Umran Malik also picked up two wickets apiece. The rest of the bowlers, namely Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav, also picked up a wicket each. With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja yet to return, India look set to have a quality attack for the ODI World Cup.
#5 Shikhar Dhawan's woes with the bat continue
India's 'Man of ICC Tournaments', Shikhar Dhawan had a miserable series as he got out on single digits in all three matches. The 37-year old had scores of 7, 8 and 3 as he scored 18 runs in three matches at an average of 6. While nobody can doubt the quality that the veteran opener possesses and neither can one ignore his stupendous performances in previous 50-over ICC events, Dhawan must return to form, especially with youngsters such as Shubman Gill, Ishaan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal and others waiting in line for their chance.
With this, we conclude the 5 takeaways from India's huge win over Bangladesh in the 3rd ODI. What are your thoughts on India's series loss to Bangladesh? What should Head Coach Rahul Dravid change to turn things around? Let us know in the comments below.