IND vs BAN Match

2:19 PM IST As India immerses itself in the festive spirit, cricket enthusiasts have been treated to an exhilarating two-format series between India and Bangladesh. The cricketing journey that began in Chennai with the two-match Test series has traversed the length of the country, making a stop in New Delhi before reaching its final destination. Now, the thrilling saga culminates in Hyderabad, where the iconic Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium stands ready to host the third and decisive T20I match. This grand finale promises to be the crescendo of what has been an exhilarating tour, captivating fans from coast to coast with its blend of traditional and modern cricket formats. While India has already secured the series victory, this last encounter offers more than meets the eye. Though some may dismiss it as a dead rubber, Bangladesh enters the fray with a point to prove. The visitors aim to salvage their pride and avoid a clean sweep, a fate they suffered in the preceding Test series, and give a consolation send off to their veteran player Mahmudullah. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the Indian team has absolutely outplayed their neighbours. Contributions have come from all the departments - be it batting, bowling, or fielding. However, even in the face of such overwhelming success, there remain areas for improvement and intrigue. The top order, featuring talents like Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, has yet to live up to its full potential. While these batters have managed to get off to promising starts, they've struggled to convert these openings into significant innings. Fortunately for India, any shortcomings at the top have been more than compensated for by the middle order's resilience. The biggest highlight from the previous game was a blistering knock by Nitish Kumar Reddy who impressed everyone and marked his arrival in this format in style. The bowlers too have stepped up and chipped in with timely wickets to keep the opposition in check. Coming after executing a historic Test whitewash against Pakistan, Bangladesh was dripped in confidence and expected to replicate that performance in this tour as well. But, their resilience was tested through and through and they have been humbled by the hosts. The biggest worry has been their inconsistency while batting. To prove this point, if we take a magnified look, only Mehidy Hasan Miraz has crossed 50-run mark combining both matches and is their highest run scorer. Likes of Shanto and Litton Das up top are yet to contribute and this very lackadaisical contribution from the top three has resulted them in teeters. As the series draws to a close, all eyes will be Mahmudulla, who is set to play his final T20I match. The veteran will be eager to steer his team to victory and prevent another clean sweep on this tour. The bowling department including Taskin, Mustafizur and Rishad Hossain too would aim to snag wickets to their name to end the tour on a positive note. Hyderabad is often known for its high scoring contests. 171 has been the par score here in the first innings while chasing too, hasn’t been that difficult. A balanced surface then to wrap up this bilateral series. India will also try to test the bench strength while Bangladesh would like to correct their combination as well. Will India execute a whitewash or can Bangladesh save its pride and prevent the embarrassment? Who do you think will win?