#INDvBAN-ASIACUP-SUPER4-2025 : Abhishek Sharma’s Blitz , Hardik Pandya’s Late Order Batting And Wily Spinners Help India Beat Bangladesh By 41 Runs

Picture : BCCI /X

India marched into the final of the Asia Cup 2025 with a  nervy 41 run win over Bangladesh  in Super 4 encounter.   Bangladesh  bowlers  bowled well to retrict India  below 200. That after stand-in Bangladesh Skipper Jaker Ali won the toss and asked India  to make first use of the wicket.

India  got off to a flier with in- form openers  Abhishek Shamra and Shubman Gill. The Punjab duo  started play their shots after a rather watchful start in the first two overs.  Gill  displayed his signature cover drives and timing and scored  29 before he was fiorst to be dismisssed  . The opening duo by then had put on 77 for the first wicket in just 6.1 overs.

Shivam Dube promoted to number 3 flopped out for 3. Adding to India woes  Indian Skipper Suryakumar Yadav who was out cheaply for 5.  There was  panic as Tilak Varma was out for  5 . India at one stage were tottering at 129/5 in 14. 3 overs

Experimenting with batting order hurt India. Or perhaps taking Bangladesh too lightly. Fortunately for India , All- rounder  Hardik Pandya came good and scored a vital 38 ( 29 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) , Axar Patel struggled to time the ball in his 15 ball 10 . India eventually finishing at below bar 168/6 in their20 overs.

The only bright spot in the the otherwise dismal Indian batting  display was Abhishek Sharma who made it look so easy as he blasted a  power packed  75 off 37 balls with 6 fours, 5 sixes.

Bangladesh bowlers did well to contian a power India batting unit . And they were backed by superb intese fielding. Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1/29 ( 4 overs), Nasum Ahmed 0/34 ( 4 overs) , Mustafizur Rahman 1/33 ( 4 overs), Mohammad Saifuddin 1/37 ( 3 overs), Rishad Hossain 2/27 ( 3 overs), Saif Hassan 0/7 ( 2 overs)

In reply , Bangladesh  showed some promise at the start . But soon fizzled out.  Opener Saif Hassan impressed with  a fine knock giving their fans a something to cheer with his 69 ( 51  balls , 3 fours, 5 sixes) , Parvez Hossain Emon scored 21.

Unfortunately these  two were only Bangladesh batsmen to reach double figures in rather inept batting batting show from the rest.  The rest had nothing to be wrotten about – Tanzid Hasan Tamim ( 1), Towhid Hridoy ( 7),Shamim Hossain ( 0), Skipper Jaker Ali run-out ( 4), Mohammad Saifuddin ( 2) , Tanzim Hasan Sakib ( 0), Nasum Ahmed not out 4 , Mustafizur Rahman ( 6), Bangladesh bolwed out for 127/10 in 19. 3 overs. India  romped home by 41 runs…

Ind ia bowling was on target. Jasprit Bumrah after rare off day against Pakistan was in his elements 2/18 ( 4 overs), Hardik Pandya 0/14 ( 2 overs), Varun Chakaravarthy 2/29 ( 4 overs) , Kuldeep Yadav 3/18 ( 4 overs), Axar Patel 1/37 ( 4 overs) , Shivam Dube 0/10 ( 1 over), Tilak Varma 1/1 ( 0.3 overs)

Desite the bowling effort what would displease Indian team was the fielding effort as they dropped as many a six catches . The previous game against Pakistan saw them drop 4 catches.

This attribute India  would like to address  in their final Super 4 encounter against Sri Lanka .  India now await the winner of  the Pakistan versus Bangladesh clash in Super 4. The winner will play India in the final on September 28 .
Match: Asia Cup 2025, Super Fours
Venue: Dubai | Date: September 24, 2025