Tigers play a staggering 55 dot balls

Bangladesh posted a modest 139 for eight in their opening Nidahas Trophy match against India at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.

Liton Das scored highest 34 off 33 balls and Sabbir Rahman struck a 26-ball 30 on a wicket where India failed to defend 173 in the opening game against hosts Sri Lanka. India dropped as many as four catches and their bowling was at times wayward. Still, Bangladesh failed to put up even one decent partnership. The other disappointing aspect of Bangladesh's batting was the batsmen played too many dot deliveries in between those odd boundaries. The combined dot balls of a legitimate 120-ball innings stood at a staggering 55.

Earlier, Bangladesh lost both their openers in the first six overs of the Powerplay where they scored 44.

Dropped on one, Soumya Sarkar hit a six and a four before being caught at short fine leg for a 12-ball 14. Tamim Iqbal struck consecutive boundaries after winning a review against an leg-before decision. But the experienced left-hander gloved an attempted pull shot off Jaydev Unadkat and was caught at short fine leg for 15 off 16 balls.  Mushfiqur Rahim scored 18 off 14 balls and skipper Mahmudullah holed out in the deep for one off eight balls.

India have named a side unchanged from the one that lost the opening game against hosts Sri Lanka by five wickets. For Bangladesh, pace bowler Taskin Ahmed made a comeback after missing the home series against the Lankans in January and February.

It is Bangladesh's first game against India since their heart-stopping one-run defeat when they failed to score two runs from the last three deliveries at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup.

The team management have also decided to introduce Liton Das in place of Imrul Kayes. The team consists of five bowlers and six batsmen. Bangladesh have lost all the five games they have so far played against India in the shortest format of the game.