Rohit praises tigers’ ‘fearless cricket’

MNA Sports Desk: India captain Rohit Sharma praised Bangladesh for their “fearless cricket” after the Twenty20 minnows came within a ball of a shock victory in the tri-series final in Colombo.

Tenth-ranked Bangladesh pushed their illustrious neighbours all the way in Sunday’s final before wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik smashed a six off the last ball to secure a four-wicket win.

Karthik’s eight-ball 29 took India over the line after a tense 167-run chase that saw Bangladesh concede 35 runs off the final two overs at the R Premadasa Stadium.

But Sharma, who gave his team a blazing start with a 42-ball 56, said Bangladesh were a “very good team” who have vastly improved over the past three years.

“(Bangladesh) play fearless cricket, it’s always good. Sometimes, it can bite you when things don’t go your way but that is the style of cricket they want to play,” Sharma told reporters after the final.

“They are certainly a very good team… in the last three years, we’ve seen how they’ve changed their style of cricket.

“A few of the guys who are experienced are nurturing the younger guys.”

“We always knew Soumya Sarkar is not a premier bowler. He’s a part-time bowler at the most,” said Sharma.

“It can happen to anyone when you bowl those big overs. It’s never easy at the death. The pressure is always on the bowler not the batsman,” he added.