AFP photo.
Chattogram/Bangladesh: Ishan Kishan's record-breaking double century, the fastest one, along with Virat Kohli's ton and supercharged bowlers of Men-in-Blue helps India to win the final ODI match in the series against Bangladesh at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) here on Saturday.
India made a big win with 227 runs, where Kohli scored his 72nd international century, 44th ODI century and first ODI century since August 2019. Ishan Kishan, who scored his maiden ODI ton, became the fourth Indian to score a double century in ODI after Sachin Tendulkar, Virendar Sewag and Rohit Sharma. Kishan is the seventh batter in overall and as well as the youngest batter to reach the milestone.
However, the win was just a consolation because Bangladesh had already won the series in the first two matches.
Kishan scored 210 off 131 balls with 24 boundaries and 10 sixes, while Kohli scored 113 from 91 balls with 2 sixes and 11 boundaries, hitting some of the latter being the classic Kohli.
Kishan has more records to his name, such as the highest individual score by a batter in men's ODIs in Bangladesh, as well as the highest score by an Indian batter outside of the home. His 210 is also the third-highest individual score by an Indian men's batter in this format.
Despite losing his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan early after being pushed into batting first, Kishan embarked upon a sizzling 290-run stand with Kohli, who made 113 off 91 balls, as India made 409/8 in 50 overs. In reply, Bangladesh folded for 148 in 32 overs, giving India a crushing victory in a dead rubber as the 'hosts' won the series 2-1.
The crowd at Chattogram was treated to a sensational knock from Kishan, who played all the shots in the batting manual. No part of the ground was left untouched by his brilliance, and no bowler could escape his brutal yet eye-catchy shots.
There were many incredible shots hit by Kishan in his 24 fours and ten sixes, where he mixed confidence and fearlessness in toying with a Bangladesh bowling attack, leaving them clueless. When bowlers gave width or pitched on the fourth stump, he was quick to crash them through the off-side. When bowlers dropped short, he was quick to unleash the pull-off backfoot or one-legged.
All of his ten sixes came in his strength areas -- from wide long-on to long-leg. Even when he didn't get the timing right, he was still attacking and managing to clear the fielders for boundaries. When spinners pitched on a good length, Kishan would go down and sweep with nonchalance, one of which got him his century in 85 balls.
After reaching the three-figure mark, the frequency of pulls, slogs, and slog-sweeps became very frequent as Kishan toyed with the Bangladesh bowling attack to reach 150 in just 18 balls post reaching his century.
He brought out more shots to get a double-hundred in another 23 deliveries, which is now etched in the memory of Indian fans forever. He would hit another four and six before falling to Taskin Ahmed as Litton Das took a good running catch at long-off in the 36th over.
Kohli, on the other hand, had luck on his side when Litton Das dropped a simple catch off a lazy flick at short mid-wicket, giving him a lifeline at just one. He looked a little scratchy but grew in confidence as the innings progressed, making the most out of a bowling attack rattled by Kishan's onslaught.
After reaching his fifty in 54 balls, the drives on the up off his bat became crisp, the pull started to be a regular feature. In his knock, where he hit 11 fours and two sixes, his front-foot lofted inside-out shot over extra cover off Ahmed was the pick of the lot. After Kishan fell, Kohli brought out another fabulous shot by making a big stride forward and driving superbly through extra cover off Ebadot Hossain.
He got his 44th ODI hundred and the first in almost three years when he picked the pace from Ebadot to do a subtle flick off the hips, and the ball flew over the fine-leg fence, going past Ricky Ponting to be in the second spot for most centuries in international cricket.
Though he holed out to long-off fielder off Shakib Al Hasan, India still managed to get over 400 thanks to some lusty hits from Washington Sundar and Axar Patel. Chasing 410 was always going to be difficult for Bangladesh. Axar Patel broke the 33-run opening stand on the first ball of the fifth over when Anamul Haque holed out to long-off. Three overs later, Litton Das hit straight to the mid-off fielder off Mohammed Siraj.
Axar got his second wicket as Mushfiqur Rahim went for the sweep but was castled. Eight overs later, Yasir Ali was trapped lbw by Umran Malik in a successful review by India. Shakib was accumulating runs in his steady flow but chopped onto his stumps off Kuldeep Yadav.
As Mahmudullah was trapped lbw by Washington Sundar and burnt a review while Mehidy Hasan Miraz didn't produce any heroics with the bat, the result was all but a foregone conclusion as India registered a crushing victory.
Brief Scores: India 409/8 in 50 overs (Ishan Kishan 210, Virat Kohli 113; Shakib Al Hasan 2-68, Ebadot Hossain 2-80) beat Bangladesh 182 all out in 34 overs (Shakib Al Hasan 43, Litton Das 29; Shardul Thakur 3-30, Axar Patel 2-22) by 227 runs