Nasir’s double; Bangladesh A level series

Bangladesh A beat India A by 65 runs and level the series with a phenomenal display of all-round skill by Nasir Hossain.

Nasir Hossain scores an unconquered 102 to give a faltering Bangladesh A hope by taking the total to 252 and gripes 5 wickets.

At one stage it looked like that India A were going run away with an easy victory. At the end of 27 overs India A were cruising at 118 for one requiring 133 off 148 deliveries for victory at that stage.

But Nasir was adamant to not let the sheen off his hundred get lost with a crushing defeat for his side.

He took it on himself to change Bangladesh A’s fortunes. In the 28th over, he got rid of a well set Unmukt Chand for 56. In the 34th over, he dished India A a double blow by foxing both Suresh Raina and Karun Nair into getting stumped. In the 36th over, he preyed on Rishi Dhawan by getting him bowler.

His efforts were backed by his namesake Rubel Hossain who got rid of a dangerous-looking Mayank Agarwal early in the innings. He bowled with a mix of control, pace and accuracy and India A failed to get him away, but they were content with playing him off, but when Bangladesh A launched a two-pronged Hossain attack, India A had no convincing response.

Rubel got the wicket of Manish Pandey in the 31st over and delivered a peach to Sanju Samson consigning the latter to a golden duck. He then dismissed Karn Sharma for a meager two runs to leave India A at a shoddy 168 for eight. Gurkeerat Singh who scored a fighting 65 in the last game stayed on and showed some fight, but had to contend with tailenders and an ever-mounting asking rate.

RB Kalaria was then the ninth wicket to fall to become Nasir Hossain’s fifth victim. Finally, Gurkeerat lost his battle and fell to another Hossain, Al Amin this time. Gurkeerat, the final wicket to fall, was dismissed for a 30-ball 34. India A, lost the game that looked like theirs to take after halfway through their innings, by 65 runs.

Brief scores:

Bangladesh A: 252 for eight in 50 overs ( Nasir Hossain 102*, Litton Das 45; Rishi Dhawan 3 for 44)

India A: 187 all out (Chand 56, Nasir 5-36, Rubel 4-33).