After an initial hiccup, Team India were back to their winning ways to register a 2-1 win against Bangladesh in the three-match T20 internationals.
Bangladesh had caused a major upset after they won the first T20 international in New Delhi. India registered a convincing victory in Rajkot to level the series 1-1. On Sunday, 10 November, India made a comeback in the second innings of the third and final T20I in Nagpur to take the series 2-1.
For India, it was once again a series of experiments, where the ‘fringe players’ were being tested in the run-up to World T20 in Australia next October.
While Deepak Chahar was the find of the series for India, senior player Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant’s form is now becoming a cause of concern for the team.
Here’s a look at the hits and misses from Team India’s three-match T20 international series against Bangladesh:
Rohit Sharma
With a match-winning knock of 85 sandwiched between two batting failures, Rohit Sharma looked in his elements despite a mediocre outing with the bat by his standards.
In the first T20 international Rohit started off well, but the flourish didn’t last long. He was dismissed for 9 in the first over of the match. Rohit came back strongly in the next encounter and was at his usual best. His innings of 85 off 43 balls, which included 6 sixes and 6 fours, singlehandedly won a crucial match for India to draw level in the series.
His tally of 96 runs from 3 innings at an average of 32.00 is the second-best among the Indian batters in the series. But his strike rate of over 177 and tally of 6 sixes clinches the deal for the Indian opener.
As far as captain Rohit Sharma is concerned, barring the first match, the Mumbai batsmen was smart with his bowling changes. Especially in the third T20 international, where at one point Bangladsh were cruising home at 110/2 after 12 overs while chasing 175. Rohit’s use of Deepak Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal has been the highlight.
Shikhar Dhawan
Things are not looking great for the senior pro. Despite getting starts in all his three innings, Shikhar has failed to convert them consistently. The opener managed scores of 41, 31 and 19 in the three matches.
But Shikhar’s batting woes don’t end with his conversion problem. In the series, the opener also had problems accelerating his innings. His strike rate of 107.00 is testimony to that. In fact, in the first match, his 41 came off 42 balls. Unfortunately, he was dismissed at a time when he had done all the hard work.
He suffered the same fate in the next two matches to finish the series with 91 runs from three innings at an average of just above 30.
When Virat Kohli will be back in the mix , it will become really difficult for Shikhar to justify a place in the squad with KL Rahul breathing down his neck.
KL Rahul
If it hadn't been for the innings of 52 in the third and final T20I of the series, Rahul wouldn’t have anything to show in this series.
But, better late than never. Rahul was there to shoulder the responsibility when his team needed him the most. After India’s two most experienced batters Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were back in the hut in the series decider in Nagpur, it was Rahul and Shreyas Iyer who took India not only to safety but ensured his side post a challenging total.
If Iyer played a flamboyant innings, it was Rahul’s stay at the crease which reeked of maturity. The Karnataka batsman scored 52 off 35 balls, without taking much risk.
Despite this, Rahul is guilty of inconsistency - an area which he needs to work on to cement his place in the side. His tally of 75 runs from three innings at an average of 37.50 doesn’t justify his talent.
Shreyas Iyer
The intent was clear in the first match itself but it lacked execution. The second match didn’t give much scope. But, everything fell into place in the third T20I for Shreyas Iyer, who laid a serious claim to the number four spot.
His 33-ball 62 came at the right time both for himself and his side. Shreyas’ innings was a perfect ploy to Rahul’s matured innings. En route his 62, Shreyas hit five towering sixes to take his series tally to 8.
The Mumbai batsman tried a similar thing in the first T20I but had to be content with a 13-ball 22. In the second match also Shreyas was in a similar mood for his 13-ball 24 not out but it was Rohit Sharma’s masterclass which did the job for India.
In West Indies also, he came good with the bat at number five position. So, Shreyas, with a combination of consistency and hard-hitting ability, is the perfect answer for India’s number four conundrum.
Rishabh Pant
With each passing days and each passing series, it is becoming really difficult to see Rishabh Pant bat.
After struggling against West Indies and South Africa in the respective T20I series, the young batsman saw no change in luck against the Bangladeshis. Pant managed only 33 runs from two innings.
In the first match, his struggle with the bat was for real. His running between the wickets was also questionable and eventually led to the dismissal of well-settled Shikhar Dhawan. He also didn’t stay for long before getting dismissed for 27.
In Nagpur, Pant once again had a tough time against the Bangladeshi bowlers. He could only manage 6 runs before being clean bowled by Soumya Sarkar - a medium pacer.
His poor batting form has clearly affected his glovework. If his batting was poor, his wicket keeping was woeful and embarassing. From missing run-outs to grabbing the ball in front of the stumps, Pant has had a tough time both in front and behind the stumps.
Shivam Dube
Not a great debut series for the hard-hitting all-rounder Mumbai, till the second innings in Nagpur.
Some fireworks with the bat was expected from Shivam during the final overs but he failed to impress in whatever limited opportunities he had got.
But the 26-year-old turned the table with the ball. After going wicketless in the first two games, Shivam got the crucial wickets of Mohammad Naim, who was taking the game away from India’s reach, and the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim.
Deepak Chahar was surely the star in the final T20I but Shivam’s contribution with the ball was also equally crucial.
With India playing a lot of T20I games ahead of the World Cup next year, Shivam can expect a few more opportunities coming his way.
Krunal Pandya
The elder of the Pandya brothers, Krunal’s woeful run continued in the T20I series against the Bangladeshis.
The all-rounder neither had any luck with the ball nor with the bat. After failing to take any wickets in the first two T20Is, Krunal made way for Manish Pandey in the third and final encounter in Nagpur.
Krunal has been wicketless in his last five T20s. The last time he was among wickets in West Indies more than three months back, where he picked up 2/23. Adding to his misery was his poor fielding which might have cost India the first ODI.
With the advent of Shivam Dube, and the likes of brother Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja being already there, Krunal has to change his game soon to book a spot on that flight to Australia.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal made a successful comeback to the T20 side with this series. The leg-spinner missed the T20I series against West Indies, followed by South Africa.
Keeping in mind the World T20, Chahal was one again drafted into the squad and he didn’t disappoint. In the three games, whenever captain Rohit Sharma threw the ball to Chahal in the middle overs, the spinner gave his captain a breakthrough.
Chahal's ability to outthink the batsman is what makes him different from others.
The leggie took two crucial wickets in the same over in Rajkot - Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar - to put the brakes on Bangladesh's scoring rate.
Chahal finished the series with 4 wickets at an economy of 7.91.
Washinton Sundar
It can be called the curious case of Washington Sundar. Despite failing to take wickets in five out of last six outings, Washington has been successful in keeping his place in the side.
Washington has been opening the bowling for India in the last few matches but failed to create any ripple with the ball. Apart from consistently giving away runs, Sundar could only manage one wicket in the three matches in the series.
Washington ’s high point in the series probably came in the first T20I but with the bat. Him and Krunal were responsible for some last-minute blitzkrieg to take India to a respectable total of 148. Washington was unbeaten on 14.
At this moment, the team management is quite patient with him. If Washington plans to play the World T20 in October next year, he needs to get his act clean.
Deepak Chahar
Find of the series for Team India, Deepak has been in top form since his comeback to the T20 side,
In his first match since return, Deepak accounted for 3 wickets for mere 4 runs from 3 overs against West Indies at Providence in Guyana.
Replicating a similar performance, Deepak took it a notch higher against Bangladesh in the series decider in Nagpur on Sunday. The pacer finished with an astonishing 6 wickets from 3.2 overs, giving away only 7 runs.
In the process, he became the first male cricketer from India to take a hat-trick in T20 internationals. His figure of 6/7 is also the best bowling performance in T20 internationals.
Deepak finished the series with 8 wickets at an average of 5.41.
Khaleel Ahmed
Another youngster, another dismal outing. The Bangladesh series was a nightmare for young pacer Khaleel Ahmed.
With 108 runs from 3 outings at an economy of 9.00, Khaleel’s only saving grace were his two wickets. In fact, in the second T20I Khaleel went on to concede seven successive boundaries.
Another fringe player, Khaleel is also in the scheme of things of the Indian team management for the World T20 next year. But if he continues this kind of form, then it would be really difficult for him to justify his place in the side.
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