INDvBAN, 3rd T20I: Just one word - DOMINANCE!
All adjectives will probably fail to describe the stuff that we have just witnessed in the City of Nizams! But we will try our best…
Electing to bat first, the Indian cricket team made the 1.4 billion Indians stare at their TV screens for 20 overs straight, leaving everyone awestruck with one of the most kadkadit batting performances the cricket fraternity has ever observed!
A destructive display of batting prowess took Team India to an astronomical 297/6, shattering a plethora of records on the way.
Sanju Samson notched his first T20I century and our boys Surya and Hardik went about their business, contributing 75 and 47 runs, respectively, at a respectable strike rate.
Thereafter, it was just a matter of time before Team India wrapped the proceedings to register a fantabulous victory, completing a series whitewash in style.
Paltan, get ready to relive this exemplary performance…
Tod Fod right from the word GO!
Despite losing Abhishek Sharma early on, Team India made their plan clear - Proper batting pitch, make full use of it!
Sanju Samson and Surya Dada made the Bangladeshi bowlers look completely clueless and smashed them all over the park.
Our Mr. 360° began his onslaught with his trademark supla shot over the wicket-keeper’s head and when he does that, the Paltan knows that they are in for some fireworks!
There was simply no stopping the blazing duo as they showed no mercy and kept the scoreboard ticking just like the meter of a kaali peeli in Aamchi Mumbai!
Moreover, the carnage saw Team India hit a mesmerising 17 boundaries (12 fours and five sixes) to record 82/1 at the end of six overs, their highest-ever powerplay score in T20Is! Todela hai… Todela hai!
Samson? Naah, it’s SAM-TON!
When Sanju chetta thumped four successive boundaries in the second over, fans sensed a big one incoming… And that’s exactly what the 29-year-old delivered!
Surely, the analysts endured a tough time working on his wagon wheel as he gave absolutely no breathing space to digest what was going on!
The 10th over off Rishad Hossain saw the wicket-keeper batter slam five monstrous sixes to make jaws drop in anticipation of what was unfolding in the City of Nizams!
Every swing of the blade ended up into the boundary ropes and soon came the moment that every cricketer dreams of!
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An explosive 40-ball 100* made it to the record books as the second-fastest T20I ton by an Indian, just behind Rohit Sharma, who did it in 35 balls in 2017.
A SKY full of stars!
On any other day, a batter would have plainly played a supporting role at the other end, but not when you are THE SURYAKUMAR YADAV!
A typical 35-ball 75, striking at a fiery strike rate of 214.29, filled with eight fours and five sixes, accounted for an absolute cinema show in Hyderabad.
Surya enjoyed his time out in the middle, casually hitting boundaries for fun and playing a pivotal role in helping India cross the 200-run mark in only 14 overs, becoming the second-fastest team to do so in the T20Is!
It’s not over yet… Enter Hardik-Riyan in the chat!
With Team India already going berserk at 206/3, Kung Fu Pandya and Riyan Parag didn’t put their foot off the gas and continued to toy with the opposition bowlers.
The pair capitalised on some shoddy bowling and fielding by the Bangla Tigers and 70 more runs to the scorecard, rubbing salt on the opponents’ wounds.
While Riyan Parag chipped in with a 13-ball 34 knock, HP played a string of classic shots en route to his 18-ball 47 cameo, slapping four fours and sixes apiece that made the Paltan go, “nusta raadaaaaa, Hardik bhau!”
15 runs off the final over guided India to a gigantic 297/6, which made it to the history books as the highest T20I total by a full member nation.
Run chase - A mere formality
What more could have gone wrong for Bangladesh? A wicket off the first ball in the run chase.
Furthermore, the neighbours were restricted to 59/3 at the end of the powerplay as none of their batters got going under pressure.
Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy tried to stabilise the ship with a 53-run partnership before the former fell prey to Ravi Bishnoi, with our star Tilak Varma completing a good catch.
The wickets kept falling at regular intervals as the Men in Blue extended their domination. Hridoy stood as the lone warrior for his side, scoring 63* off 42.
Brief scores: India 297/6 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 111, Suryakumar Yadav 75; Tanzid Hasan Sakib 3/66) BEAT Bangladesh 164/7 in 20 overs (Towhid Hridoy 63*; Ravi Bishnoi 3/30, Mayank Yadav 2/32) by 133 runs.
