Cricket is a game of uncertainty and the India versus Bangladesh match proved that beyond doubt. As this writer regularly mention that -no match is won or lost until the last ball bowled came rather right and Team India got a breather against our neighbour in a nail baiting finish. Eleven runs were required of the final over and the single rotated the strike to Rahim and the ex-Bangla skipper, who hit two successive fours and the equation came to 2 of 3 balls and it was an easy task for any side to look for singles to finish the game with a ball to spare. But Hardik Pandya had other ideas as he had Rahim and Mahmudulla caught of successive balls to make a match of it. In came the final ball and a Javed Miandad style finish was not expected from the tail end batsman and we saw history being created at the Bangalore Chinnaswamy Stadium. The only worrying factor for India is the minus run rate maintained by Dhoni’s side and a must win situation will arise against Australia, if the latter beat Pakistan with a handsome margin. We can keep the fingers crossed till 27th and till that time the semi-final spots will emerge clear and we will come to know whom to face in the knockout stage.
S. Abhishek Ramaswamy
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
