In a thrilling match at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Bangladesh secured a landmark victory against India in the Asia Cup 2023. This triumph marks Bangladesh’s first win against India in this tournament since 2012, and their first in the Super Four stage of the ongoing Asia Cup. The team’s success is primarily attributed to the impressive performance of their bowlers.

The match saw significant knocks from Shakib Al Hasan (80) and Towhid Hridoy (54), following a top-order collapse, propelling Bangladesh to a competitive score of 265/8. India, under Captain Rohit Sharma, chose to bowl first in Colombo. Despite the commendable efforts of Shardul Thakur, the most effective and also the most expensive of all Indian bowlers, Bangladesh managed to set a challenging target for India.

In response, India’s chase was largely dominated by Shubman Gill, who anchored the innings with his fifth ODI ton. However, he fell short of partners at the other end. The only significant partnership was with KL Rahul for the third wicket, contributing 57 runs before Rahul fell to Mahedi Hasan. Only Axar Patel managed to provide some hope with a quick 42 off 34 balls, but his dismissal all but confirmed India’s defeat.

The match concluded when Mohammed Shami was run out in the penultimate ball of the final over, marking a six-run victory for Bangladesh. Despite India already securing a place in the final and Bangladesh’s elimination, the match turned out to be a potboiler, keeping spectators on the edge till the last two balls.

India made five changes to the team that previously beat Sri Lanka. Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, and Prasidh Krishna replaced Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav. For Bangladesh, wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim was unavailable due to personal reasons, and Tanzim Hasan was making his debut.

While the match was technically a dead rubber with India already through to the final and Bangladesh being knocked out, it ended up being an unforgettable event. This victory will undoubtedly boost the morale of the Bangladeshi team, who have shown that they can stand up to powerhouse teams like India.