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India make easy work of Bangladesh to enter the Asia Cup 2025 final

India vs Bangladesh
India beat Bangladesh by 41 runs (Photo - X)

The Men in Blue retained their core combination for the Super 4s clash against Bangladesh in Dubai. However, nothing remained the same in the batting order.Too many tweaks in the lineup, multiple frustrating drops in the field, and yet Bangladesh were kept miles behind in the contest. Put in to bat first, India scored 168 on the back of a blazing knock from Abhishek Sharma in the India vs Bangladesh Super 4 clash. While it seemed Bangladesh might gain an edge, it was nothing more than the Men in Blue experimenting with their lineup. Ultimately, India prevailed, beating their opponents by 41 runs and sealing a spot in the Asia Cup 2025 final.

Men in Blue make too many moves but win the India vs Bangladesh Super 4 clash easily to qualify for the Asia Cup 2025 final

Bangladesh fielded as many as four changes in their Playing XI for the Super 4 contest against the tournament favorites. Jaker Ali was handed the captaincy as Litton Das sat out due to an injury. Meanwhile, the likes of Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, and Mahedi Hasan were rested. Facing the unbeaten Men in Blue, Bangladesh never looked in contention to stage an upset, and the many changes reinforced that perception.

However, the contest was not one-sided, at least in the first innings of the India vs Bangladesh Super 4 clash. Much of it was India's self-imposed trials. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill opened the batting. However, the order below the opening pair was topsy-turvy. Shivam Dube came in at three, departing swiftly on a mishit. Suryakumar Yadav came at four, with Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson waiting. The skipper departed at 5 off 11, edging recklessly outside. Next in, India sent Hardik Pandya.

Pandya lasted until the penultimate ball. Tilak Varma also got a chance to bat, but Sanju Samson was slotted as low as the eighth spot in the order. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma kept up his assault, scoring another half-century and providing the perfect start for his team. The youngster has emerged as the highest run-scorer in the Asia Cup 2025, miles ahead of the rest of the batters. In five innings, Abhishek has scored 248 runs at an average of 49.60 with an explosive strike rate of 206.66.

Hardik Pandya contributed with 38 off 29 as India's total reached 168 despite the experimental batting order. However, the team’s form and the timidness of the opponents against the Men in Blue have made India invincible in the Asia Cup 2025. The Indian fielders went a mile ahead of their sloppy show in the India vs Pakistan Super 4 match, dropping as many as five catches in this contest.

Despite the many flaws in the Indian contingent, Bangladesh failed to mount a fight in the chase. Opening the innings, Saif Hassan managed to score a fifty. However, a lone batsman was never going to win it for Bangladesh, as the rest of the batters tumbled like a pack of cards. While Kuldeep remained clumsy in the field, the spinner's show with the ball was another superhit stint. Kuldeep picked up three wickets, while Bumrah returned in the league of wickets, scalping two as India bundled out Bangladesh for 127.

The Men in Blue have already emerged as the title contenders, qualifying for the Asia Cup 2025 final. However, the India vs Sri Lanka Super 4 match is yet to be played before the ultimate clash arrives. Meanwhile, the Indian unit, despite being unbeaten so far, does not look flawless. Suryakumar Yadav and Co. need to work on their fielding while assessing if the middle order is stable enough to build on the good starts being provided by the openers.

Author Ayushi Singh
Ayushi Singh

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