India cruise into Sunday’s showdown with victory over Bangladesh

India survived a spirited fightback from Bangladesh to book their place in the Tri-Series final on Sunday with a 17-run victory under lights at Colombo.

While it’s a fifth defeat in six for Bangladesh – with stand-in skipper Mahmudullah still searching for the right formula – India are peaking nicely.

A third consecutive victory in the series owed much to the old hands Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina, sprinkled with the youthful stardust of the beanpole off-break bowler, Washington Sundar, whose three wickets prised open the Bangladesh top order.

 Sharma and Raina set the platform in typical style. The former, warming to his role as Kohli’s stand-in, began cautiously before opening his shoulders in the last four overs, striking three of his five sixes, all in the arc from mid-wicket to square leg.

His 89 was the mainstay of the innings – he was finally dismissed to the final ball of the 20th over – but Raina’s dashing 30-ball 47 was perhaps the most eye-catching.

Together they put on 102 for the second wicket, after Sharma had first shared a 70-run stand with Shikhar Dhawan. When Raina was removed, well caught in the deep by Soumya Sarkar to give Rubel Hossain his second wicket, the job had been done. India had carved themselves a total on a sluggish, slightly uneven surface that would be beyond Bangladesh’s batsmen.

For a short while, however, as Tamim Iqbal climbed into Shardul Thakur, taking 19 off the Indian medium pacer’s first over, the target appeared eminently gettable.

Mahmudullah’s pre-match call for aggression was certainly being heeded, but Sundar has an old head on young shoulders.

First he removed Liton Das with a classy piece of bowling, drawing the aggressor out of his crease to offer an easy stumping. His second over saw Sarkar heave at thin air to be clean bowled, and in his third, Tamim himself played all over a straight one, his breezy 19-ball 27 promising much but falling short.

At just 18, Sundar is already establishing himself as a key component of the India T20 set-up.

Thereafter Bangladesh’s chances appeared slim, and despite the excellent efforts of Mushfiqur Rahim, whose lone unbeaten 72 held the chase together, they were never in a position from which to strike. When the initially expensive Thakur returned to remove Sabbir Rahman in the 17th over, Bangladesh’s last chance of causing an upset had gone.

The identity of India’s opponents in the final will be revealed on Friday, when Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with a win apiece, meet in the final group match.

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