The last time India chased a modest but challenging target on a deteriorating pitch with spinners swarming like bees was in Mirpur against Bangladesh in December 2022. On that occasion, India huffed and puffed before collecting the required 145 runs with three wickets to spare.
Monday joined that nerve-wracking Christmas Sunday morning in spirit, and for a fleeting hour it seemed like the result wouldn’t go India’s way. Starting from an overnight 40 for no loss, in pursuit of 192, the home side was reduced to 120 for five, with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir (three for 79) and left-armer Tom Hartley (one for 70) buzzing.
