Bangladesh choke India for maiden T20I win
New Delhi, Nov 3: Mushfiqur Rahim single handedly fired Bangladesh to their maiden T20I win over India with an unbeaten 60, choking the fancied hosts in the smog-hit series opener here on Sunday.
As cricket took centre stage despite severe pollution, Bangladesh negotiated the pitch much better than India, who made 148 for six on a sticky surface.
The Indian batsmen appeared over-cautious after being invited to bat as the young brigade disappointed the 25,000 strong fans, who braved severe smog to pack the Feroz Shah Kotla ground .
Chasing 149, Bangladesh overhauled the target with three balls to spare to record their first ever win against India in nine meetings.
With Bangladesh needing 22 off the last 12 balls, Rahim (60 not out off 43) smashed four boundaries off as many balls in the penultimate over bowled by Khaleel Ahmed to tilt the game in his team's favour.
He and Soumya Sarkar (39 off 35 balls) added 60 runs for the third wicket to steer Bangladesh closer to victory. The second T20 will be played in Rajkot on Thursday.
After Khaleel cleaned up Sarkar, Rahim was dropped by Krunal Pandya off Chahal when the batsman was on 38.
Bangladesh lost Liton Das (7) early but debutant Mohammed Naim (26) and experienced Sarkar added 46 runs for the second wicket to keep India worried.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal tested the Bangladesh batsmen with his variations but Naim and Sarkar played smartly, keeping the scoreboard ticking.
Naim, considered Bangladesh's future star, went after Chahal but ended up giving an easy catch to Shikhar Dhawan at long-on.
The strategy of working the ball around rather than playing aggressive worked wonders for the visitors.
Rahim would have been back in the pavilion had India taken review in the 10th over. Chahal's appeal for an lbw was turned down and replays showed that he was out.
Sarkar swung his arm to produce a massive six off Krunal Pandya as Bangladesh began the push for the win.
There were no demons in the wicket though the odd ball was gripping the surface. None of the Indian batsmen could play a substantial knock after being put in to bat.
At the top, after skipper Rohit Sharma's early dismissal, Shikhar Dhawan scored at a slow pace, managing just 41 off 42 balls.
Dhawan, who has been struggling to find his touch since his comeback, was top-the scorer for India but he consumed seven overs before running himself out and it affected team's scoring rate.
Being the senior most player in the middle after Rohit's dismissal, he needed to stay long at the wicket but took too many balls to score his runs.
Much was expected from India's young brigade but save Shreyas Iyer, none took the attack by the scruff of its neck.
Iyer played an entertaining 13-ball 22 run knock, giving the innings a much needed move on.
Shivam Dube's much-awaited debut ended with just one run while Rishabh Pant managed 27 off 26 balls.
Had it not been for some gritty stroke-making by Washington Sundar (14 off 5 balls) and Krunal Pandya (15 off 8 balls), India would not have got close to the 150-run mark.
Pacer Shafiul Islam (2/36) and spinner Aminul Isam (2/22) shared four wickets between them.
India skipper Rohit, playing his 99th T20I, began by glancing the first delivery from Shafiul to the boundary ropes and also cover drove the paceman for another four as the hosts made a flying start.
However, Islam cut short Rohit's stay by trapping him before the wicket on the fifth ball.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
