India vs Bangladesh: A look back at the close and controversial matches of the past

On paper, it’s a tour that should yield a few easy wins for the Indian cricket team. After all, Bangladesh are a side in transition and have never been a significant threat in Test cricket. 

Yet this is one of cricket’s most underrated and one-sided rivalries. Underrated because it has produced several thrilling matches in the past, but it is wrong because the significant hostility is on the Bangladeshi side. 

But we’re not going to focus on the hostilities too much and instead look back on the closer matches between these sides. 

Yet one of the reasons this rivalry is so hard-fought is due to a moment of controversy that came back in the 2015 ICC World Cup. 

It was the quarterfinal between India and Bangladesh, and Rubel Hossain had dismissed Rohit Sharma. Or so he thought, as the ball was adjudged to be a waist-high no-ball by the umpires. 

Yet replays suggested the call was, in fact, incorrect – the ball was at best level with Rohit’s waist and was a legal delivery. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Were Bangladesh unlucky in Adelaide? 👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvBAN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/SIYMlJ0XYP">pic.twitter.com/SIYMlJ0XYP</a></p>&mdash; ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/status/1587842674798825479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The match was fairly one-sided after that, but the outrage in Bangladesh laid the foundations for the rivalry that followed. 

When India toured Bangladesh later that year, the hosts won their first-ever ODI series against the nation thanks to some excellent bowling from a debuting Mustafizur Rahman. But the matter did not end there. 

Ahead of the Asia Cup final in 2016, a viral image of Taskin Ahmed carrying MS Dhoni’s severed head went viral. This backfired as India won the final – with MS Dhoni hitting a six, no less. 

But the two sides still needed to be finished and went on to play one of the most thrilling games of the 2016 T20 World Cup between the two teams. 

The match went to the final over, and Hardik Pandya was entrusted with bowling the last over and defending only ten runs. 

He started with a single, but then Mushfiqur Rahim hit back-to-back boundaries, and the equation was simple – one run off three balls. 

But Hardik Pandya pulled off the improbable, getting two wickets off two balls and then MS Dhoni effected a run-out to help India win by one run! 

Another memorable match the two played out was the final of the Nidahas Trophy tri-series in Sri Lanka in 2018. 

The game was somewhat ill-tempered – not helped by Bangladesh players adopting the ‘Naagin dance’ celebration to taunt their opponents – but is primarily remembered for Dinesh Karthik hitting a six to win the game. 

The controversies have primarily died down since, but the Virat Kohli ‘fake fielding’ incident in the T20 World Cup 2022 has once again led to some tensions among fanbases. 

Will this play out in this series? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – India will have to work hard in this series, as Bangladesh will be motivated by the rivalry if nothing else.