The Rohit Sharma-led Indian side made a strong comeback after losing their first ever T20I to Bangladesh at New Delhi on Sunday to register an emphatic 8-wicket win over the visitors in the 2nd T20I at Rajkot on Thursday. The victory meant India drew level, pushing the three-match series to the decider in Nagpur on Sunday. India chased down the 154-run target in just 15.4 overs with 8 wickets in hand to enter into the record books. This was India’s 41st victory while chasing in T20Is which is now a world record. India broke Australia’s record of 40 victories while chasing in the shortest format of the game. India not only beat Australia in the number of wins but they also have a better win percentage when it comes to chasing. India have chased 61 times in T20Is, and they have ended on the winnings side on 41 occasions. Australia, on the other hand, have successfully chased 40 times out of 69 attempts. The third in the list is Pakistan with 36 successful chases in 67 matches. Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma was the start of the show for India. He was adjudged Player of the Match for his 85 off just 43 balls. Such was Rohit’s dominance during the 118-run opening stand that it managed to overshadow Shikhar Dhawan’s (31 off 27 balls) wretched form. Earlier, Indian bowlers led by Yuzvendra Chahal made an impressive comeback to restrict Bangladesh to a sub-par 153 for 6 and then the dew also played its part on a good track where the ball was coming onto the bat. Rohit teed off in the fourth over of the innings when he hit an off-drive, followed by a cover drive and then a straight six off Mustafizur Rahaman. It was difficult to comeback from that point for Bangladesh as the Indian captain got boundaries and sixes at will. Pacer Shafiul Islam was given the charge and hit over long-on for a six and slow sweep off spinner Afif Hossain brought up his 18th half-century in this format. When off-spinner Mosaddek Hossain Saikat (0/21 in 1 over) tried to come round the wicket to try a negative line, Rohit hammered him for three sixes in the arc between long-on and mid-wicket. Just when a fifth hundred in this format looked there for the taking, the skipper was out trying to hit a seventh six. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul then completed the formalities with 26 balls to spare. Put into bat, Bangladesh could not capitalize on a good start as Chahal’s (2-28) double breakthrough in the 13th over pegged the visitors back. A quick-fire 30 off 21 balls by skipper Mahmudullah Riyad helped them cross the 150-mark. Openers Liton Das (29 off 21 balls, 4×4) and Mohammad Naim (36 off 31 balls, 5×4) shared a 60 run opening stand. Seamer Deepak Chahar (1-25) and off-spinner Washington Sundar (1-25) did manage to stem the flow of runs but Khaleel’s poor show continued. The two sides will now meet on Sunday for the series-deciding third T20I at Nagpur.
