Riding on a swashbuckling half-century from Rishabh Pant and a pace assault by the fast bowlers, India made an early statement in the T20 World Cup with a 60-run victory over Bangladesh in a warm-up match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Pant reinforced his case for a berth in India’s starting XI at the T20 World Cup as the primary wicketkeeper-batsman, showcasing his skill with a flowing half-century. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya hinted at his return to form by smashing three consecutive maximums off left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam, demonstrating his power and precision. Pandya’s knock of 40 off 23 helped India reach a total of 182 on a tricky two-paced pitch in New York.
Chasing a target of 183 on a challenging surface, Bangladesh managed to score only 122/9 in 20 overs. The match began with Bangladesh’s openers Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Hasan. Arshdeep Singh took the first two wickets with exquisite inswingers, while the increased pace and bounce from the Indian seamers left Hridoy and Tanzid Hasan struggling.
Arshdeep was ably supported by Mohammed Siraj, who bowled one over, conceded two runs, and took one wicket. With Bangladesh at 27/3 after six overs, the chase was always going to be difficult. They lost two more wickets by the ninth over, further hampering their efforts. The game slowed as Bangladesh’s hitters struggled to score runs. Soumya Sarkar fell in the first over, followed by Litton Das shortly after. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s dismissal left Bangladesh struggling through the Powerplay. Towhid Hridoy’s brief stint ended with 13 runs, and Tanzid Hasan lost his wicket under pressure, leaving Bangladesh at 50/5. The seasoned duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah formed a tenacious alliance, but it was too late. Bangladesh finished with 122/9, losing by 60 runs.
Earlier, back in India colours, Pant had a successful hit in the warm-up match, looking in imperious touch against Bangladesh. Playing his first game for India, albeit an unofficial one, since his car accident, Pant led India’s charge after the wickets of captain Rohit Sharma and Sanju Samson.
Opting to bat first, India started slowly as Rohit Sharma and Sanju Samson took their time adjusting to the conditions, but Samson was quickly dismissed. India surprised Bangladesh by sending Sanju out to open with Rohit. Samson’s stay was brief as Shoriful Islam struck first, removing Samson for 1 in the 4th over.
The Indian skipper then delivered some ferocious shots but couldn’t last longer, losing his wicket to Mahmudullah after scoring 23. Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant then appeared to be batting on an entirely different pitch, smashing the ball all over the park. Pant scored a magnificent half-century before retiring, while Suryakumar slammed 31 off just 18 balls. Shivam Dube struggled a bit, but Hardik Pandya finished strong with 40 off 23 to help India to a respectable total of 182/5 on a tricky two-paced pitch.
