The India A team made it to the ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup 2023 final by defeating Bangladesh at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday (July 21). The match also saw a high voltage drama and a few exchanges of words take place between the two sides.
Asked to bat first, the Men in Blue struggled to get going and were bundled out for 211 runs in 49.1 overs. It was Yash Dhull‘s resilient innings that played a pivotal role in India reaching a competitive total. Dhull played well-crafted innings of 66 runs off 85 balls and got an able support from Abhishek Sharma (34).
Chasing 212 for victory, the Bangladesh innings got off to a promising start. Mohammad Naim (38 runs) and Tanzid Hasan (51 runs) showed resilience and built a solid foundation for their team. However, the Indian bowlers struck at regular intervals, making it challenging for the Bangladeshi batters to build partnerships.
Nishant Sindhu was the star performer for India with the ball, claiming a brilliant 5-fer for just 20 runs in his eight overs. The Bangladesh side ultimately fell short of the target and were bowled out for 160 runs in 34.2 overs.
Apart from sensational bowling performance, India’s fielding also played a major role in helping the team emerge victorious. Among all the catches taken by the Indian fielders, the one that stood out came from Riyan Parag. The all-rounder took a smart catch at the slip that displayed his brilliance and presence of mind.
It all happened on the final ball of the 32nd over when Rakibul Hasan attempted a reverse sweep on Sindhu’s delivery but misjudged the ball completely as the white leather didn’t travel far and went in the air towards the left of the Parag at slip where he completed a sharp catch. The 21-year-old was quick to anticipate the ball to go in that direction and had already shuffled by seeing the moment of the batter. The dismissal was followed by a wild celebration from the India star, who mocked the Bangladeshi batter by firing a few words at him after the smart move.
Here’s the video:
How smart was that from Riyan?!
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.#EmergingAsiaCup2023 #INDAvBANA pic.twitter.com/i7y0MJJaBL— FanCode (@FanCode) July 21, 2023
