Rain washes out third ODI, India pocket series 2-0

[JUGRAJ SINGH]

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The third One-Day International between India and Bangladesh was called off after heavy showers rendered the ground unfit for play in Mirpur, Dhaka on Thursday.


India were 119 for nine in 34.2 overs when rain stopped play for the third time in the final match of the series.

Stuart Binny (25) and last man Umesh Yadav (0) were at the crease when heavens opened up again at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Earlier, India skipper Suresh Raina had won the toss and elected to bat first.

The World champions made one change, bringing in Manoj Tiwary for Amit Mishra. The hosts replaced Ziaur Rahman with Sohag Gazi.

The visitors were 13 for three in 8.3 overs when rain interrupted play for a first time.

After resumption, only four more overs were possible before another break.

The match was reduced to 40 over a side after rain halted play for the second time, with India at 34 for four in 12.3 overs.

India, thus, pocketed the three-match series 2-0 after having won the first two ODIs of the series.

While the Indians scored marginally better with the willow from their 105 in the last game, it was another pathetic batting display where their technique against pace and swing along with the temperament to fight it out came under scanner.

Cheteshwar Pujara (27) again turned out to be a failure in the shorter format while Ambati Rayudu looked ill at ease against the pace and movement.

Stuart Binny (25 not out) helped the score get past the three-figure mark but that wasn't enough. Top order batsmen Robin Uthappa and Ajinkya Rahane were out to poor strokes.

It was another battle of attrition for the Indian top-order which was found wanting in the adverse conditions. Uthappa (5) went for an expansive drive and was caught by Nasir Hossain off Mashrafe Mortaza's away going fuller delivery.

Rahane (3) closed his bat face to a delivery from Al-Amin which reared up awkwardly taking a leading edge to Nasir at the slip.

Rayudu's (1) questionable technique against pace was again exposed as rookie Taskin Ahmed got one to nip back sharply after taking off from short of good length. Rayudu could only glove that delivery to Mushfiqur Rahim behind the stumps as India were left tottering at 13 for three.

It soon became 16 for four as Manoj Tiwary (2), getting his first chance in the series, wasted a golden opportunity by chasing an Al-Amin delivery way outside the off-stump, offering a simple catch at second slip to Anamul Haque Bijoy.

Skipper Suresh Raina joined Pujara, who was in a lot of discomfort against the pace of Taskin and the swing of Al-Amin.

Raina decided to counter-attack as he hit three crisp boundaries in his run-a-ball 25 besides adding 41 runs in the process with the Saurashtra batsman. But Raina was finally dismissed when he gloved one down the leg side trying to sweep a Shakib delivery down leg-side.

Wriddhiman Saha (16) hit a couple of boundaries during his 32-run sixth wicket stand with Pujara, who struggled to rotate the strike in the middle overs.

Pujara's painstaking 63-ball knock finally ended when Shakib flighted one, which dipped and straightened, catching the right-hander plumb in-front.

Left-hander Akshar Patel (1) played an atrocious shot off a wide delivery from Taskin to edge it to Mushfiqur behind the stumps.

India were tottering at 97 for eight staring at their lowest score against Bangladesh. But Binny's lusty blows ensured that India didn't face that ignominy in back to back matches.

The visitors took the series after humbling the hosts by 47 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain-truncated second ODI on Tuesday.[/img]
 
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