Mehidy 100* and Mahmudullah 77 lift Bangladesh from 69/6 to 271/7

7 Dec 2022

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Mehidy 100 and Mahmudullah 77 lift Bangladesh from 696 to 2717

Mehidy cracked his first ODI century, while Mahmudullah and he added 148 for the seventh wicket, to hold India off

Innings Bangladesh 271 for 7 (Mehidy 100*, Mahmudullah 77, Nasum 18*, Washington 3-37, Malik 2-58, Siraj 2-73) vs India

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh's hero of the first ODI, pulled off another remarkable effort with the bat, hitting his first ODI century off just 83 balls to pull his team out of the pits of 69 for 6 and post a challenging 271 for 7 in the second ODI in Dhaka. He stitched a record seventh-wicket stand of 148 with Mahmudullah, who scored 77, to put the pressure back on India. They were cautious at the start, understandably, but found the boundaries regular in the middle overs, and Mehidy took 30 runs off the last two overs to reach his century on the final ball of the innings.

Another low-scoring match seemed in the making when Bangladesh lost their top order early to the movement and pace of Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik, before Washington Sundar removed the experienced duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim in the space of six balls. But Mahmudullah and Mehidy steered them out of troubled waters as Mahmudullah dropped anchor and Mehidy played the attacking role. Mehidy cashed in on the depleted pace attack - one bowler short because Deepak Chahar had a stiff hamstring and couldn't bowl after his initial three overs.

Mehidy started out with deft late cuts and swipes behind square, like in the first game, and saved the best for the end. He was on 72 off 74 with two overs to go and he first went after Malik with two drives that raced to the boundary before reverse-scooping the last ball to the deep-third boundary to make it a 14-run over. Nasum Ahmed gave the strike back to Mehidy immediately by running off a bye on the first ball of the last over, bowled by Shardul Thakur, and Mehidy then carted Thakur for two big sixes on the leg side off slower balls. He reached 99 with a double and dabbed the last ball - a full toss - towards mid-on to reach the hundred. With a useful 11-ball 18 from Nasum, Mehidy helped Bangladesh collect 68 off the last five overs and 102 off the last ten.

Mahmudullah played his part in lifting Bangladesh after a poor start•AFP/Getty Images

Earlier, Siraj accounted for the openers when he made the new ball jag sharply into them. Anamul Haque got a life when he edged Siraj to second slip, but Rohit Sharma dropped the catch while also injuring his left thumb. He was taken for scans, and didn't return during the bowling innings, and also didn't open in the chase. But Haque fell the very next ball when Siraj bowled an inducker which Haque couldn't move his feet for and was trapped right in front. Bangladesh also lost a review there. Siraj bowled a much fuller and straighter ball in his fifth over to Litton Das, who lost his middle stump while trying to attack with a big drive.

Malik troubled the batters further by firing in a few thunderbolts above 150kph and one of them ended Najmul Hossain Shanto's scratchy stay of 21 off 35 when the batter was beaten by pace to lose his off stump. Siraj and Malik then troubled Shakib by peppering him with a short-ball barrage and struck his helmet twice with bouncers. As soon as Malik was taken off, Shakib tried to attack Washington, but the attempted sweep was top-edged, and was taken by Shikhar Dhawan at short fine-leg after a juggle.

Bangladesh's 66 for 4 soon became 69 for 6 when Washington struck twice in two balls. Mushfiqur first gloved a loopy delivery to Dhawan at wide leg slip, before Washington came around the wicket to Afif Hossain and knocked over his off stump with a flat delivery.

The Indian players celebrate with Washington Sundar after he dismissed Shakib Al Hasan•Walton

Mahmudullah and Mehidy batted with patience thereon and set the stage for a late push. Mehidy collected plenty of runs behind square again and smoked Washington for a six down the ground, while Mahmudullah took out his drives and pulls before picking up boundaries more frequently once the partnership crossed 50. Mehidy's charge was relentless at the other end, especially against Axar Patel whom he slog swept for his second six. But Mehidy seemed to be struggling with cramps soon after.

But he continued to run ones and twos and brought up his half-century off 55 balls, and Mahmudullah got there off 74 balls; in between, the century stand also came up as Bangladesh reached 169 for 6 with ten overs left, and India were already one bowler short. The batters started to attack only after the 4rd over when Mahmudullah drove Thakur over the covers for four and then went after Siraj in the 46th by targeting the leg-side boundary in a 14-run over.

Mahmudullah fell in the next over when he edged Malik behind, and Rahul took a stunning one-handed catch diving to his right. It didn't dent Bangladesh's charge, though, because Nasum slapped Malik down the ground for back-to-back fours and then smashed Siraj for a six in the next over to take them towards 250. Mehidy then took over in the last two overs for a late assault.