DHAKA: India won the Asia Cup with an eight-wicket triumph over hosts Bangladesh on Sunday as opener Shikhar Dhawan returned to form with a half-century in a 94-run stand with Virat Kohli in a rain-hit final (partly reported in Monday’s edition).

The bad weather saw the Twenty20 final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium starting two hours late and being reduced to 15 overs a side after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and put Bangladesh in to bat.

Bangladesh, who lost to India in the group stages, got off to a slow start and only a late flurry of runs from Mahmudullah took Bangladesh to a competitive total of 120-5.

India, the world’s top-ranked side in the shortest format of the game, lost opener Rohit Sharma early but calmly chased down the Bangladesh total with seven balls to spare.

India came into the final having won all of their group matches and could not have hoped for a better preparation for this month’s World Twenty20 tournament on home soil having also won their previous two series against Australia and Sri Lanka.

Left-handed Dhawan (60), who had scored two, one and 16 not out in his last three outings in the tournament, and Kohli (41 not out) took the attack to the Bangladesh bowlers after Sharma’s dismissal in the second over.

Dhawan fell to a diving catch by Soumya Sarkar off paceman Taskin Ahmed, prompting Dhoni to walk out and underline his worth as a finisher for India by smashing two sixes and a boundary in his innings of 20 off six balls.

Dhawan hit nine fours and a six, while Kohli struck five fours.

Dhoni, 20 not out, hit two sixes and a four in Al-Amin’s final over to complete the victory.

“Thanks to the top-order batsmen, they have done the bulk of the job, “Dhoni said after the match.

““It’s looking very good now, we are on track for the World T20. It’s the beauty of the side that everyone is taking responsibility to finishing the game,” he added.

It was India’s sixth Asia Cup title — although their previous winning meets were all held in the old 50-over, One-day International format.

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe praised his team-mates for their effort.

“We are disappointed, no doubt. We couldn’t win the final but congratulations to the boys for making it this far,” he said. “They played really well and we couldn’t keep the pressure.

“We have exciting batsmen and bowlers, hopefully this team will carry on from here.”

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH:

Tamim Iqbal lbw b Bumrah13

Soumya Sarkar c Pandya b Nehra14

Sabbir Rahman not out32

Shakib Al Hasan c Bumrah b Ashwin21

Mushfiqur Rahim run out4

Mashrafe Mortaza c Kohli b Jadeja0

Mahmudullah Riyad not out33

Extras (w-3)3

Total (for five wkts. 15 overs)120

FALL OF WKTS: 1-27, 2-30, 3-64, 4-75, 5-75.

DID NOT BAT: Nasir Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Hider, Al-Amin Hossain.

BOWLING: Ashwin 3-0-14-1 (1w); Nehra 3-0-33-1 (1w); Bumrah 3-0-13-1; Jadeja 3-0-25-0; Pandya 3-0-35-0 (1w).

INDIA:

R.G. Sharma c Soumya b Al-Amin1

S. Dhawan c Soumya b Taskin60

V. Kohli not out41

M.S. Dhoni not out20

Extras0

Total (for two wkts, 13.5 overs)122

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-99.

DID NOT BAT: S.K. Raina, Yuvraj Singh, H.K. Pandya, R.A. Jadeja, R. Ashwin, J.J. Bumrah, A. Nehra.

BOWLING: Taskin Ahmed 3-0-14-1; Al-Amin Hossain 2.5-0-30-1; Abu Hider 1-0-14-0; Shakib Al Hasan 2-0-26-0; Mashrafe Mortaza 2-0-16-0; Nasir Hossain 3-0-22-0.

RESULT: India won by eight wickets.

UMPIRES: Shozab Raza (Pakistan) and R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: Enamul Haque (Bangladesh).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shikhar Dhawan.

MAN-OF-THE-TOURNAMENT: Sabbir Rahman.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2016