Rohit Sharma-led India registered a comprehensive 60-run victory over Bangladesh in a warm-up encounter at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, ahead of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
Electing to bat first, India showcased their firepower with Rishabh Pant's explosive half-century—53, helped along by brisk contributions from Suryakumar Yadav—31 off 18 balls—and Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 40 off just 23 deliveries.
Pant, marking his return after a harrowing car accident last December 2022, showcased his brilliance with four boundaries and as many sixes before retiring out. Yadav's quickfire 31 and Pandya's aggressive 40 helped India get to a formidable total of 182/5 in their allotted 20 overs.
In their defense of the target, India's bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, restricting Bangladesh to 122/9 in their 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dube led the bowling attack with figures of 2-12 and 2-13 respectively, supported by contributions from Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel, all claiming a wicket each.
Bangladesh, despite efforts from former captains Mahmudullah—40 off 29 balls—and Shakib Al Hasan—28 off 34 balls—fell short in their chase.
While the victory brought out India's strengths to the fore, it also raised some intriguing questions for the team management. The absence of Virat Kohli, who joined the team only a day before the match, put the team's adaptability to test. Sanju Samson was tried instead of Yashasvi Jaiswal as an opening partner for Rohit Sharma, though he did not achieve great success. Sharma himself, along with Pant, formed crucial partnerships in the early stages of the innings, while Pandya's all-round performance provided a much-needed boost.
This warm-up match proved to be a perfect testing ground, providing valuable insights and areas for improvement as they get ready to defend their title while the preparations in India continue.
Brief scores:
Indians 182/5 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 53, Hardik Pandya 40 not out, Suryakumar Yadav 31, Rohit Sharma 23; Mahedi Hasan 1-22, Shoriful Islam 1-26) beat Bangladesh 122/9 in 20 overs (Mahmudullah 40, Shakib Al Hasan 29; Arshdeep 2-12, Shivam Dube 2-12) by 60 runs.
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