[Watch] Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma fall cheaply in the IND vs BAN Super 4 clash of Asia Cup 2023
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma could not continue his red-hot form as he was dismissed for a second-ball duck in the Super Four clash against Bangladesh in Colombo on Friday, September 15.
Chasing 266 for victory, the 36-year-old was looking to score a fourth consecutive half-century, having achieved the same against Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. However, Rohit was into his drive to a length delivery by debutant Tanzim Hasan Sakib on off-stump and chipped a simple catch straight to the cover-point fielder.
Here is the video of the Indian skipper's dismissal:
Unfortunately for Team India, their nightmarish start only worsened as Rohit's Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Tilak Varma departed soon to leave India reeling at 17/2 in the third over.
The southpaw, debuting in ODI cricket, completely misjudged an inswinging delivery by Tanzim and left the ball only to see his stumps knocked over.
You can watch the video of Tilak's dismissal on his forgettable ODI debut below:
Tilak will see this as a golden opportunity missed, batting at No.3, with India resting Virat Kohli.
Thankfully for Team India, they have already qualified for the Asia Cup final, courtesy of their wins against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the opening two games of the Super Fours. As for Bangladesh, the result of this game is similarly inconsequential, with the side eliminated from qualification for the final.
India and Sri Lanka will play each other in the summit clash in Colombo on Sunday, September 17.
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan stars with bat to help post 265 in first innings
Earlier in the day, skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first, with both teams making several changes for his dead-rubber.
Yet, Team India did not miss a beat as they reduced the Tigers to a dismal 59/4 in the 14th over. However, skipper Shakib Al Hasan stepped up to the party again, showcasing why he is the No.1 ranked ODI all-rounder.
The southpaw scored a magnificent 80 off 85 deliveries, with six fours and three maximums to restore the Bangladesh innings. Just as he was looking set for his 10th three-figure score, India's golden arm bowler Shardul Thakur knocked him over in the first ball after the drinks break.
However, Bangladesh continued their stubborn resistance through middle-order batter Towhid Hridoy, who scored a defiant 54 off 81 balls. The lower order, led by Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, and Tanzim Hasan, made valuable contributions of 44, 29, and 14, respectively to propel Bangladesh to a competitive total.
As for the Men in Blue, Shardul Thakur led the way with three wickets in his ten overs while Mohammed Shami bagged two wickets in his first outing of the 2023 Asia Cup. Prasidh Krisha, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel also chipped in with a wicket each to restrict Bangladesh to a chasable target.