Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first in Pune, establishing a solid foundation with an impressive opening partnership of 93 runs. However, their momentum was disrupted when Indian spinners entered the fray, claiming the pivotal wicket of Tanzid Hasan just after he reached his half-century.
The Tigers’ stand-in captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, followed suit, as did Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Towhid Hridoy. These dismissals left Bangladesh struggling at 143/4 after 30 overs, and India’s fielding standards visibly improved as they sought more breakthroughs.
In a bizarre turn of events, Shardul Thakur, bowling the 31st over, conceded only three runs off the first three balls. On the fourth delivery, Mushfiqur Rahman played a shot to Ravindra Jadeja at backward point for a quick single. The fielder swiftly collected the ball and threw it at the striker’s end, achieving a direct hit.
However, to everyone’s surprise, the ball slowly rolled to KL Rahul, allowing the Tigers to sneak in another run. Rahul, sensing another opportunity, accurately threw the ball to the other end. Unfortunately, Shardul wasn’t prepared for the throw and had already turned back to his mark.
In an unusual twist of fate, the ball hit the stumps again, and the batsmen secured an extra run. This sequence of events, which led to conceding three runs instead of just one, left skipper Rohit Sharma visibly frustrated.
