Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman tore through the Indian batting line-up again on Sunday to help Bangladesh seal the three-match one-day international series with a six-wicket win in Dhaka.
Mustafizur picked up where he left off in the opening match, when he claimed 5-50, to grab 6-43 and help bowl India out for 200, a target Bangladesh reached in just 38 overs.
The hosts were given a target of 200 runs in 47 overs based on the Duckworth/Lewis system after rain interrupted play for more than an hour towards the end of India’s innings.
Bangladesh faced little problem in reaching that figure thanks to Shakib Al Hasan’s second successive 50, along with cameos from Litton Das (36), Soumya Sarkar (34) and Mushfiqur Rahman (31).
Sabbir Rahman (22no) steered Axar Patel to third man for the winning run with Shakib unbeaten on 51 at the other end, having smashed five fours in a 62-ball innings.
The win, which followed Thursday’s 79-run success, all but confirmed Bangladesh’s place in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England after they cemented the seventh position in the ODI rankings.
Hosts England and the seven top-ranked one-day sides will progress to the tournament.
Earlier in the day, Shikhar Dhawan scored 53 runs while skipper MS Dhoni chipped in with 47 as India toiled hard against some fine Bangladesh bowling in a bid to stay alive in the series.
Electing to bat first after Dhoni won the toss, India suffered their first blow with just the second ball when Rohit Sharma was caught at cover by Sabbir Rahman off Mustafizur.
Dhawan and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a 74-run second-wicket stand before Bangladesh struck again through occasional offspin bowler Nasir Hossain.
Nasir, who claimed 2-33, trapped Kohli lbw for 23 and then had Dhawan caught behind soon after the opener completed his 50.
Ambati Rayudu, one of the three changes India made for the game, followed Dhawan without scoring to leave the visitors struggling at 4-110.
Dhoni, who promoted himself to No.4, put on a 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Suresh Raina, but Mustafizur returned in his second spell to dismiss Raina for 34.
Dhoni, dropped by wicketkeeper Das on 21, later succumbed to the pressure, spooning a catch off Mustafizur to Nasir at short cover.
Mustafizur was on a hat-trick after trapping Axar Patel lbw off the next ball.
While Ravichandran Ashwin survived the hat-trick ball, he soon became Mustafizur’s fifth victim, edging a catch behind the stumps.
Mustafizur bowled Jadeja off his final delivery after the rain break and Rubel ended India’s innings two balls later to finish with 2-26.
The third and final ODI will be held on June 24 at same venue.
