While Vijay Shankar catches the eye by hitting the right length time and again, the opener’s remarkable run continues

India’s young bowling unit got its bearings back with a disciplined effort to restrict Bangladesh to a modest 139 for eight in the second round-robin league match of the Nidahas Trophy tri-series tournament here on Thursday.

After the nightmarish effort against host Sri Lanka in the opener, the inexperienced line-up gave a much better account of itself, using the conditions well, much to the delight of skipper Rohit Sharma. The testimony to the better performance was as many as 55 dot balls (9.1 overs).

On a slow Premadasa track, all-rounder Vijay Shankar’s wicket-to-wicket stuff proved to be handy even though he had at least three catches dropped off his bowling.

Jaydev Unadkat, who took three wickets, was inconsistent throughout his four-over spell with a mixture of good deliveries followed by half trackers.

Skipper Rohit once again started with off-spinner M.S. Washington Sundar and the normally dangerous Tamim Iqbal found it difficult to get going in the PowerPlay overs. Washington bowled as many as 13 dot balls in those first six overs.

His partner Soumya Sarkar flicked Unadkat over long-leg for a six but the Saurashtra left-armer had the last laugh when he was caught at short fine-leg trying to whip a rising delivery.

Tamim’s misery was ended by a well-disguised short-ball from Shardul Thakur, which climbed on him sharply. His mistimed pull-shot was taken easily by Unadkat at short fine-leg.

Liton Das and former skipper Mushfiqur Rahim added 31 runs for the third wicket. Vijay Shankar, playing his second international game, made up for a lack of pace by hitting the right length time and again.

Liton got two ‘lives’ off Vijay Shankar when the normally safe Suresh Raina dropped an easy skier and Chahal, running in front, at deep fine leg spilled a catch.

However in his next over, Vijay Shankar got his first international wicket when Mushfiqur edged to Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps.

Skipper Mahmudullah was frustrated by Chahal’s variations and in a desperate bid tried to hit Vijay Shankar inside out, he gave an easy catch to Shardul at sweeper cover boundary.

Vijay Shankar was again unlucky in his final over, when he sprinted around 35 metres towards vacant on side trying to latch onto a catch off his own bowling. The batsman in question was Sabbir Rahman, whose lusty blows, towards the end, gave Bangaldesh’s total a semblance of respectability.

In reply, India romped home in the 19th over with the in-form Shikhar Dhawan (55, 43b, 5x4, 2x6) smashing yet another half-century. Suresh Raina (28) and Manish Pandey (27 not out), too, chipped in.