BAN VS IND - 5th Match, India and Bangladesh in Sri Lanka T20I Tri-Series, 2018

It's all we've got for you. India are coming out on Sunday. Who's clearing the Friday barricade to join them there .. for now, this was Vineet Anantharaman bringing you all the action along with Pratyush Sinha, Abhinand Raghavendran, Rishi Roy and our ace scorer Naga. Ta ta!!

Stat summary courtesy Deepu Narayanan:
~ India have now won seven out of seven T20Is they've played against Bangladesh
~ Rohit Sharma pipped Yuvraj Singh to hit the most number of sixes (75) for India in T20Is
~ Mushfiqur Rahim's 72 was the first ever half-century by a Bangladeshi against India in T20Is
~ Siraj has now conceded the most runs (131) after three T20Is, going past Adam Milne's 130
~ The 65-run stand between Mushfiqur and Sabbir was Bangladesh's best ever for the fifth-wicket
~ Karthik's 50 stumpings in T20s is fourth behind K Akmal (92), Dhoni (70) and Sangakkara (60)

(2/2): I just told Siraj to keep it simple (in the last over) and we knew that that was the way to contain them. They needed 28 runs and we knew that would happen only if they hit big. I asked him to bowl that back of a length ball because we found it tough to hit. From whatever I have seen of him he can do very well. He is a great talent, has all the capabilities of doing what a fast bowler has to do. He's coming back off a break and that's never easy. It wasn't a good game for him, but he has a lot of talent to come back hard.

Rohit Sharma, winning skipper and MoM (1/2): It was important for me to step up. Like I said at the toss I tried to take my time with the bat at the start and then play my shots later on. I felt we were 10-15 runs short with the bat at the end, but they bowled brilliantly at the death. Washington started brilliantly with the ball and his magical spell changed the game for us. The entire bowling unit too stuck to their plans and pulled it off for us. The wicket wasn't the usual wicket we've been playing on for the last week. It was gripping and was slow and hence difficult to play on the up and that is why I wanted to take my time. One set batsman had to bat and I knew a new batsman would find it tough. The partnership between Raina and me was key; he has been timing the ball brilliantly and that is great to see. Hope he can do it for us in the finals as well. [Praising Sundar] He is never afraid of flighting the ball, sets his own field and it says a lot about an individual. It allows me also to breathe easy and set the field accordingly. In the series we played against Sri Lanka in India, we saw that from him and today was no different.

Mahmudullah, losing skipper: The effort was there. A bit disappointed though; had someone stood up and made 20-30 quick runs it could have made a difference with Mushy. The chase was on, we needed a good flying start. But we lost wickets early and didn't get the momentum we needed. We also could have conceded 10 lesser runs and that could have made the difference. The plan was to take the pace off the ball and stick to your strengths as a bowler, but they didn't execute that well. Looking forward to the next game, the good thing is that we have a chance to prove ourselves and we need to do it.

Ganesh katigar: "I think Team India should try Mohammed Siraj in Test Cricket, the way he bowls his length that definitely yields some wickets, another disappointing day for Siraj!!" -- Ah, I was just thinking about that! *Insert Chandler-Rachel telepathy gif*

Washington with his three too did his best to finish it off early. But Mushy had to take it deep. And he found India's weakest link, Siraj to go after. Some help from the other end would have been good. It's simple now, play better cricket and make it to Sunday. For now, let's wait .. the presentations are lined up.

Pratik: "Why Siraj? Has nothing, no pace, no good slower balls." -- More of a Test bowler, and he does lack variations. Can't say he has no pace though. Consistently bowls in the 140s.

22:21 local: Oh that 19th over. Five runs, completely against the flow of momentum, against Bangladesh's best finisher with moves ready to be unleashed and after being thwarted in his first spell, Thakur produces six dreamy balls. Those knuckle balls have never really been overexposed. But to be fair, for all the drama Mushfiq and Sabbir tried to create at the end, it was the powerplay that stole it from their grasp. That is if Rohit's blitz before that hadn't already. On a sluggish track and an outfield that has tired over the last week, 176 was always going to be beyond most sides.

Siraj to Rahim, no run, that's that. Siraj digs it into the pitch, Rahim tries cutting, and he cuts thin air. India can celebrate -- they've made it to the finals .. their Lankan visas have been extended. Perhaps demands for citizenship too

Siraj to Rahim, no run, slow, outside off and Mushy lets it go. Tries pocketing the extra, when there's none

Siraj to Rahim, FOUR, oh the power. Brute. Stretches, creaming it away through the covers. Sadly, the equation doesn't allow beauty to translate into runs

Mudit: "Kind of risky to give Siraj the last over considering how expensive he was." -- Our comm-box spectator, Kumar Abhisekh Das, concurs.

Siraj to Rahim, wide, short, too much so. Loops over the short Mushy

Siraj to Rahim, FOUR, tries following him with the bouncer. But Rahim's cleverer, he arches back, opens the bat and upper-ramps it over short third. But it's India who seal the deal .. without freebie extras being let out of course

Abu Hider Rony, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Siraj to Mehidy Hasan, out Caught by Raina!! Oh he has a knuckle ball too. Wonder why he was hiding these. So with the length short too, Mehidy tries going uppish with a lofted tonk. Swishing his bat across as he does so. High, but not long. And put that cobra back in the pit. Long-off retracts, reverse-cups. Mehidy Hasan c Raina b Siraj 7(6) [4s-1]

Siraj to Mehidy Hasan, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Siraj to Rahim, 1 run, to short third man, that back of a length, gets it right for a change. Mushy misses, with that dab going to short third man

Right then .. 28 in the final over. Trust Mushy to pull these off

SN Thakur to Mehidy Hasan, no run, follows him in with the yorker on leg. Opened up to point, denies the single too. Oh my

PK: "Who is doing comm today?" -- Audio: Sanjay Manjarekar and Athar Ali Khan; Text: Vineet, Pratyush, Abhinand, and Yours truly, Rishi.

SN Thakur to Rahim, 1 run, another single. Only. Just five off it, so far. Courtesy, a carve away through the off-side

SN Thakur to Mehidy Hasan, 1 run, moves away, tries manufacturing room. But what you do for the pace .. slices, mis-more and finds extra cover