Bangladesh created history at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, beating India by 15 runs in the second match of the three-match one-day international series.
Bangladesh's disciplined bowling complimented with brilliant work in the field helped them register their first-ever victory at home and level the series at 1-1.
Fast bowlers Mashrafe Mortaza, Tapash Baisya and Khaled Mahmud took two wickets each as the Indian batsmen never looked in control of the run chase.
Mortaza was deservedly named the man of the match, after he also played a vital role with the bat, scoring 31 in 39 balls to prop up the Bangladesh total. Aftab Ahmed top-scored with 67 as Bangladesh posted a healthy total of 229 for 9 in their 50 overs.
It was a spineless batting performance from India as only Sridharan Sriram (57) and Mohammad Kaif (50) managed to register useful scores. Joginder Sharma provided some resistance at the end, with 29 from 22 balls, however, the tail failed to wag as India went down tamely.
Bangladesh innings:
India made four changes in their team bringing in Dinesh Mongia, left-arm spinner Murali Karthik, opening batsman Virender Sehwag and paceman Zaheer Khan, who were rested in the first ODI.
Batsmen Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, paceman Irfan Pathan and offspinner Harbhajan Singh were rested.
For Bangladesh there was only one change, fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza replacing Mushfiqur Rehman.
Mortaza produced a quickfire knock of 31 at the end to prop up the total after it seemed at one stage that Bangladesh might fold up for a low total.
Ajit Agarkar was the best bowler for India, claiming 2 for 31 in his 10 overs. He also reached the 200-wicket milestone in ODIs, when he picked up his first wicket.
Zaheer Khan (2 for 53) and Murali Karthik (2 for 43) also made vital contributions with the ball as the hosts also lost two wickets to run outs.
India struck early when Zaheer trapped opener Mohammad Rafique leg before wicket with the second ball of the second over of the innings.
Rafique (0) was caught in the crease to a ball that was pitched well up and on the off-stump, and the umpire had no hesitation in raising the finger.(1-1)
Bashar came in and then hit the next three balls of Zaheer's over to the boundary.
Nafis Iqbal disappointed yet again as he managed to score just 9, before he snicked to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.(26-2)
Agarkar bowled with a good rhythm and got the ball to swing away from the right-hander and take the outside edge of Iqbal's bat.
It was the Mumbai fast bowler's 200 wicket in one-day internationals in his 133rd one-day international.
In his next over, Agarkar accounted for Bashar, who inside edged the ball onto his stumps.
The Bangladesh captain scored 17, before he chased a ball wide outside the off-stump, but ended up his rattling his wickets. (37-3).
The first bowling change was made in the 12th over, when Joginder Sharma replaced Zaheer, after Bangladesh had reached 45 for 3.
Murali Karthik was introduced into the attack in the 15th over, taking over from Agarkar, who bowled a wonderful first spell of 16 for 2 from seven overs.
However, Karthik, had a bad start, as he went for 14 runs. Mohammad Ashraful hit the last two balls of his over for a boundary and a six.
Karthik, soon had his revenge, as he took an easy caught and bowled chance to send back the dangerous looking Ashraful.
Ashraful looked in attacking mood as he scored a quick 28 (41b, 2 boundaries, 2 sixes) before he was drawn into a foul shot by the left-arm spinner. He tried to turn the ball onto the leg side, but the ball hit the leading edge and lobbed straight back to Karthik. (78-4)
The fifth wicket was lost to a bad piece of running by Rajin Saleh and Aftab Ahmed.
Saleh (0) tapped a ball to the offside and tried to sneak a run as Yuvraj Singh charged in and threw down the stumps at the bowlers end to catch the batsmen well short. (87-5)
Part-time left-arm orthodox spinner Sriram, who took 3 wickets in the first match, struck in his second over, getting the wicket of Khaled Mashud.
Mashud tried to sweep the left-arm spinner, but the top edge flew straight to Joginder Sharma at short-fine leg. (132-6)
Bangladesh innings was following a set pattern, the first 15 overs had produced 68 runs for 3 wickets, and 64 runs were scored in the next 15 overs, with the loss of 3 wickets as the hosts reached 132 for 6 after 30.
The hosts were losing wickets regularly, but Aftab Ahmed played well to keep the runs coming at the other end. He reached his maiden half-century in 77 balls, with four boundaries.
The right-hander, who looked comfortable at the wicket, did not utilise his long vigil at the wicket, as he bowled by Karthik, trying to heave across the line.
Ahmed top-scored with 67, before he got carried away and was dismissed trying to clear the midwicket fence. The right-hander handed Karthik his second wicket and Bangladesh were in big trouble. (168-7)
Sriram continued to impress with the ball, bowling a tight line and piling on the pressure. It paid off in the 44th over, when Khaled Mahmud was run out, trying to steal a non-existent run.
The ball went straight to Mohammad Kaif, but Mahmud set off straight, but found his partner Mashrafe Mortaza standing foot at the bowling end. (187-8)
Mortaza provided some fireworks at the end, to prop up the Bangladesh total. The young fast bowler scored 31in 39 balls, including three boundaries and a six. He put on 39 in 34 balls for the ninth wicket with Tapash Baisya (17 off 13 balls) as Bangladesh reached 229 for 9 in their 50 overs.
Once again Bangladesh were crippled by the lack of big partnerships, the highest being 44 for the fourth wicket between Ahmed and Ashraful and 44 again for the sixth wicket between Ahmed and Mashud.
For India, Agarkar (2 for 31) and Karthik (2 for 43) impressed with the ball. Sriram also proved his utility bowling his 10 overs for 37, and picking up one wicket.
Indian innings:
Virender Sehwag opened the innings with Sourav Ganguly, but survived only three balls as he played down the wrong line and was bowled by Mortaza. (0-1)
The right-hander was caught on the crease, and the customary lack of footwork came to the fore again, as the inswinging ball pierced the huge gap between the bat and the pad.
The Delhi opener's nightmare tour continued. He also had a disappointing time in the two-Test series (23 runs in 2 Tests at 11.50)
Yuvraj Singh followed suit, hitting a ball straight to Saleh at the cover region off Baisya, to be dismissed for 4. (5-2)
The Bangladesh total was suddenly looking more than competitive, especially with the absence of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar and an experienced middle order to follow.
What followed was a period of cautious batting from Sourav Ganguly and Sridharan Sriram as India crawled to 34 for 2 after 10 overs.
The trend continued as India found it difficult to break the shackles, with Nazmul Hossain and Khaled Mashud, bowling a tight line and length.
Ganguly succumbed to it, as he played an uppish shot and was caught by Mortaza at backward point for 22 in the 17th over. (51-3)
Sriram gradually blossomed after a scratchy start, and in the company of Mohammad Kaif, started to accumulate the runs.
The left-hander had a close brush on 42, when he escaped a close stumping call off left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique. Sriram managed to get back his foot in the nick of time before wicketkeeper Mashud could whip off the bails.
He reached his maiden half-century in ODIs, with a well-executed reverse sweep off Rafique. He, then, repeated the shot to make it three boundaries in a row after the first ball was also lofted to the mid-wicket boundary.
However, his dream run did not continue for much longer, as he was stumped by Mashed two balls later for 57. (114-4)
Sriram tried to sweep Rafique again over mid-wicket, missed the ball completely, which hit the wicketkeeper's pad and bounced back onto the stumps. However, Sriram's feet was on the ground at that point. After which though, before the ball had been declared dead, he took a few steps outside his crease and the alert wicketkeeper uprooted the stumps since the bails were already dislodged.
Sriram and Kaif had resurrected the innings after a poor start. They put on 63 runs in just 70 balls to put India back on track.
An interesting point to note after 30 overs was that Bangladesh were ahead on terms of runs but had lost more wickets. India were 120 for 4, as compared to Bangladesh's score of 132 for 6.
Dinesh Mongia's comeback turned sour, when he was trapped leg before wicket by Tapash Baisya for 12. (131-5)
The elegant left-hander was struck on the pads by a full pitched delivery and the result was in no doubt.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a reputation of being one of the most destructive batsmen in India and it was necessary that he stayed there with Kaif to take India closer to victory.
He started nervously, understandably, after being out without scoring in his only innings in ODIs, but soon came out of his shell with a lovely cover drive and a promise of things to follow.
But, the promising innings was cut short by Mortaza. Dhoni (12) tried to pull a short delivery, but Bashar held a low catch at midwicket to hand over the advantage to Bangladesh once again. (155-6)
It was now left to Kaif to steer India home, in the company of tail-enders, with the team needing 75 from 76 balls.
With 60 needed from the last 10 overs, Kaif (49) tried to steal a quick single, but he was found well short of his crease by a direct hit from Saleh. (170-7).
Bangladesh were just three wickets away from creating history. They had never won a one-day international at home and with only the Indian tail remaining, the victory looked well within grasp.
Agarkar, then, obliged the huge crowd at the stadium, lifting Rafique straight to Aftab Ahmed at long-on. (172-8)
It was a prime example of irresponsible and immature thinking from someone who has featured in 133 ODIs. The need of the hour, with 10 overs remaining, was to play out some overs and try to get to close to the target, and not to loft in the area where you have a fielder right on the boundary ropes.
Joginder Sharma, who has an average of 35 in first-class cricket, hit four boundaries in the space of three overs and ran some well placed singles with Zaheer Khan to bring down the asking rate.
India reached 201 after 45 overs and still needed another 29 from 30 balls, with two wickets in hand.
Zaheer played an useful innings of 10, and was involved in a partnership of 32 runs with Joginder, before he holed out to Mortaza at wide long-on. (204-9)
India were self-destructing, the lower order were giving away their wickets very tamely. Experience professionals like Zaheer and Agarkar had given way in the face of pressure, but Joginder a new comer was holding fort.
Bangladesh were giving it all in the field, and the batsmen were made to earn every run. With just one wicket remaining, India needed 18 from 18 balls.
It was fielding that did the trick for Bangladesh, Aftab's direct hit from backward point finding Karthik short, giving the hosts their first victory in 35 ODIs at home.
Sharma's brilliant knock of 29 (from 22 balls), went in vain as Bangladesh register a 15-run victory to record their first win at home, and it came in their 100th ODI overall.
After winning the first match of the series, Indian captain Ganguly had said that Bangladesh were never in the game, but today they claimed wickets at regular intervals and seemed to be in control at all times when India were batting.
Fast bowlers Mortaza and Baishya were the pick of the bowlers taking 2 for 36 and 2 for 35 respectively.
Veterans Mahmud (2 for 40) and Rafique (2 for 57) also played a vital role as the Indians never looked in control of the run chase.
One thing this victory does for sure, is set up an interesting decider which will take place on Monday. India will no doubt look to bounce back after this humiliating defeat but there is no doubt that Bangaldesh deserved the win.
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