Shakib’s class shines through again
It may have been eight months since his last ODI eight, but it seemed to be just another day at the office for Shakib Al Hasan as he picked up his fourth ODI fifer to bundle out India for their second-lowest total of 186 in the first ODI against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
Interestingly, Shakib's maiden ODI five-wicket haul had also come against India, but this time the champion cricketer hit a few more milestones.
His figures of five for 36 from 10 overs were the best by a left-arm spinner against India and the southpaw became just the second left-arm spinner to scalp five wickets against India after England's Ashley Giles had achieved the feat in 2002.
The 36-year-old also equalled Bangladesh left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak for most five-wicket hauls by a Bangladeshi, tied for second-most. Mustafizur Rahman is at the top with five fifers to his name in the 50-over format.
After skipper Liton Das won the toss and elected to bowl, Shakib picked up wickets in clusters to dismantle a strong Indian batting line-up on a pitch that suited the Tigers' spinners
Liton introduced Shakib inside the first Powerplay and the veteran immediately adapted to the sluggish nature of the Mirpur surface.
He began by removing Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and elite batsman Virat Kohli in the eleventh over of the innings.
The Indian skipper was undone by a Shakib armer as Rohit waited for the ball to turn. But the ball held its line and went through the window between bat and pad before striking timber.
Just one ball later, Shakib removed the dangerous Kohli after he went for an uppish drive. Although the ball was travelling fast, skipper Liton took a blinder, diving towards his right at cover to send the right-hander walking back to the pavilion in disbelief.
India did manage to recover from the early damage, riding on Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul for a fifth-wicket stand. But, from the other end, pacer Ebadot Hossain also played his part to help Bangladesh remain on track,bagging four wickets.
Rahul and Washington Sundar kept things going for India, adding sixty for the fifth wicket. But just when the visitors were eyeing a competitive total, Shakib brought Bangladesh back into the game in his second spell.
In the 33rd over of the innings, Shakib removed Sundar after the left-hander handed a simple catch to point while going for a reverse sweep.
In his next over, Shakib bowled Shardul Thakur with an angling delivery that came in to the right-hander. Three balls later, he had trapped Deepak Chahar leg before, completing the five-wicket haul and raising hopes that Bangladesh could clinch a sixth win against India in the fifty-over format, which ultimately materialised courtesy of the brilliant calm shown by Mehedi Hasan Miraz after the exchange.
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