Magical Mustafiz floors India

Rookie left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman claimed 5-50 on debut as Bangladesh beat India by 79 runs in the first one-day international in Dhaka on Thursday. The Tigers began from where they ended in the home series against Pakistan to outclass a more illustrious Indian side, with both bat and ball, avenging their World Cup quarter-final defeat to them along the way. Replying to Bangladesh’s record 307 runs, India had no answer to the bowling of young Mustafiz and fellow paceman Taskin Ahmed, who also made a massive contribution with 2-21. The visitors were finally dismissed for 228 runs with four overs in hand as Mustafiz became only the second man to claim five wickets for Bangladeshi on ODI debut. Mustafiz also achieved the feat without completing his full quota of 10 overs as he had to leave the field in the middle of an over when Indian captain Dhoni appeared to knock him down with his elbow, after he created an obstruction for the latter while he ran down the pitch. Taskin was the first man to achieve the feat last year against the same Indian side, but Bangladesh still lost the game despite restricting the visitors for a meagre 105 runs. The right-arm pacer was not ready to suffer a similar heartbreak this time and led a brilliant fightback after Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan appeared to be taking the game away from their grip. Taskin removed Dhawan for 30 to break their 95-run stand and then added one-down Virat Kohli (one) to his tally, before Mustafiz announced his arrival with the wicket of Rohit (63) and Ajinkya Rahane (nine) in successive overs. Sakib al Hasan compounded India’s misery when he induced a sharp edge from Mahendra Singh Dhoni to dismiss the Indian skipper caught behind for five, leaving the side struggling at 5-128. Suresh Raina (40) tried to rebuild the innings with a 60-run sixth wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja, but Mustafiz deceived him with a slow off-cutter, which the left-hander dragged onto his stumps. Mustafiz handed Ravichandran Ashwin a golden duck in the next ball and made Jadeja (32) provide a catch to Soumya Sarkar to complete his five-wicket haul and end the contest in the game. Earlier, Tamim Iabal made highest 60 for Tigers while Soumya and Sakib added 54 and 52 runs respectively as Bangladesh surpassed their previous highest score against India of 296-6. Opting to bat first, Bangladesh were looking for a more imposing total when Tamim and Soumya put 102 runs in the opening stand before a rain break, which halted the game for about an hour, shifted the momentum in the opponent’s favour. Off-spinner Ashwin, who finished with figures of 3-51, stopped the flow of runs with a tight spell after the run out of Soumya – who played 40 balls and hit eight fours and a six – gave India their first breakthrough. Rain brought relief for India, albeit momentarily, as Ashwin bowled a very tight spell of five overs that cost him just 12 runs for three wickets. Tamim wasted his brilliant start holing out a catch at long on to Rohit, to end his 62-ball innings, which included seven fours and six. Ashwin then trapped debutant Liton Das leg before for eight and forced another mishit from Mushfiqur Rahim, also caught by Rohit at long on, for 14. Sakib helped the Tigers regroup with 83-run fifth wicket stand with Sabbir Rahman (41) before two little cameos from Nasir Hossain ( 34) and Mashrafee bin Murtaza ( 21) took them past the 300-run mark against India for the first time. The second and third ODI of the series will be held at the same ground on June 21 and 24. News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net