Samson’s delight as India sweep series

Update: 2024-10-13 01:35 GMT
Sanju Samson plays a shot during the third and final Twenty20 international cricket match between India and Bangladesh at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. (Noah SEELAM / AFP)
Hyderabad: India soared to a new high. Bangladesh plummeted. The hosts swept the series 3-0 after battering their rivals by 133 runs in the third T20 on a swinging Saturday night.

After riding on opener Sanju Samson’s scintillating century (111 in 47 balls, 10 fours and 8 sixes) to pile an imposing 297 for 6, the Blues blocked the Bangladeshis at 164 for 7 to leave the festive crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in raptures.

Barring Towhid Hridoy (63 not out in 42 balls, 5x4, 3x6) and Litton Kumar Das (42) none of the Bangladesh batters could measure up to the Indian bowling attack which was ably operated by Ravi Bishnoi (3/30), Mayank Yadav (2/32), Nitish Reddy (1/31) and Washington Sundar (1/4).

India’s total was the second highest in T20s, next to Nepal’s 314 against Mongolia in September last year.

The hosts swung, slashed and stormed to the strong score courtesy Samson’s century, Suryakumar Yadav’s 75 and power-packed 47 and 34 from Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag respectively.

Samson was smooth. He thumped pacer Taskin Ahmed for four successive boundaries in the second over ‑ two through cover, one past mid-wicket and the other in the square leg region. Skipper Surya, who came in at the early fall of Abhishek Sharma, started in a flash. He swatted seamer Tanzim Sakib over the wicket-keeper’s head for a six down the sightscreen, then lifted the same bowler over the infield for a boundary.

Mustafizur Rahman was the fourth Bangladesh bowler sending down the fourth over. The left-arm pacer was taken for 12 runs courtesy Samson’s brutal hitting. Boundaries continued to flow from the punishing blades of Samson and Surya as the hosts rattled to 82 for 1 at the end of the Power Play.

The next over, Samson brought up his half-century in style, with a six off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. The mark was reached in just 22 balls and had eight boundaries and two sixes in it. The right-hander then switched into beast mode, smashing Rishad for five consecutive sixes in the 10th over, at the end of which the team total read a robust 152 for 1.

Very soon, he brought up his maiden T20 ton, a blazing one that made him the 11th Indian batsman to get to three-figures in the shortest format of the game. However, the 29-year-old fell to the curse of Nelson as he holed out to Mahedi Hasan in the deep off Mustafizur Rahman.

That also ended a racy 173-run stand for the second wicket with the skipper. It came in just 70 balls.

Vigorous sixes from Pandya and Parag followed as India hurtled towards the 300-run mark. However, three quick wickets towards the end meant they fell short by three runs.


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