BENGALURU – Hosts India snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to keep alive their hopes of reaching the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals with a dramatic one-run win over Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Bangladesh, chasing 147 for victory in the Group Two match, needed 11 runs off the last over bowled by seamer Hardik Pandya and made the perfect start as Mushfiqur Rahim (11) smashed fours off the first two balls.
However, they then lost three wickets in four deliveries as a jubilant India team scraped over the line to climb to second in the table while their opponents remained bottom following a third defeat.
In New Delhi, England flirted with danger before overcoming a spirited Afghanistan by 15 runs to boost their semi-final hopes with a second successive victory.
In a potential banana-skin match against the Afghans, Eoin Morgan’s team were in dire straits at 57 for six halfway through their innings before a half-century stand between Moeen Ali (41 not out) and David Willey (20 not out) lifted them to a 142 for seven.
The 2010 winners looked more convincing with the ball, however, restricting Afghanistan to 127 for nine to consign the associate team to their third consecutive defeat in the tournament.
England are second in the group standings behind West Indies, who have won both their opening games and enjoy a superior net run-rate. (Reuters)
Summarised scores:
India 146 for seven in 20 overs. Bangladesh 145 for nine in 20 overs. India won by one run.
England 142 for seven in 20 overs. Afghanistan 127 for nine in 20 overs. England won by 15 runs.
