Records tumbled in the series finale as India finish ODI series on a high

A famous maxim says, "All’s well that ends well". Team India might have suffered a series defeat against Bangladesh, but they will be a happy side to take a boatload of confidence before heading into the longest format of the sport.

In the series finale that was of very little consequence, Team India had to ensure that they somehow managed to pack a punch powerful enough to save the blushes of humiliation. With three injuries ahead of the final contest on Saturday, Bangladesh already had the psychological advantage. To compound matters further, the Men in Blue lost the third toss in a row as they were asked to bat first on a surface where the ball showed early signs of movement.

Shikhar Dhawan fell early, but the Indians were soon about to forget all their woes of recent times as Ishan Kishan took over the mantle of destruction and started firing on all cylinders. Joined by Virat Kohli in the middle, he started things on a moderate note and then soon brought out the big guns.

Kohli dropped anchor at the other end while the Mumbai Indians batter blitzed his way through a string of desperate Bangladeshi bowlers who were shell shocked at the sheer spectacle of Ishan going ballistic. He posted such magnificent brilliance that ended up eclipsing Chris Gayle’s record of the fastest double-century in ODIs.

It wasn’t just the southpaw who haunted the bowlers on behalf of India, but Virat Kohli ended a drought of 1214 days to notch up his 44th ODI century as the Men in Blue totted up a momentous 409 on the board with a bit of a crucial cameo from Washington Sundar in the end.

Chasing 410, Bangladesh had a steady start but Mohammed Siraj chipped in with the crucial scalp of Litton Das as the hosts started wobbling. Shakib Al Hasan scored the highest with a hard-fought 43 for the hosts while the hero of the series, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was returned to the pavilion for a paltry 3.

Led by Shardul Thakur, India rode hammer and tongs to the finish line, imposing a mortifying shellacking upon their continental counterparts while registering their biggest-ever ODI win against Bangladesh by runs. Even though the fate of the series was already sealed, the Men in Blue will have a lot of positives to take from the tour, especially after the masterclass forged by Ishan Kishan.