DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer held their collective nerve to help India clinch a three-wicket victory against Bangladesh in the second cricket test on Sunday.
They shared 71 runs with a mix of caution and aggression in an extremely turning wicket after Bangladesh closed in on a historical victory, reducing India to 74-7.
Ashwin was unbeaten on 42 off 62, a knock which included four fours and one six with Iyer on 29 off 46 with four boundaries as India raced to the victory target of 145-7 on the first session on day four.
Ashwin, who also took six wickets in the match, including 4-71 in the first innings, fittingly hit a boundary through mid-on against offspinner Mehidy Hasan to ensure the victory and finally helped the side sweep the two-match test series. The visitors won the first test by 188 runs.
India earlier lost the three-match ODI series 2-1.
After India resumed at 45-4 on tricky surface, Bangladesh, which started this year with a landmark test win on New Zealand soil, was highly favored to end the year with another victory against a high profile team.
And the home side got the success in just the second over of the day, with captain Shakib Al Hasan (2-50) trapping Jaydev Unadkat leg-before for 13.
Mehidy who took 5-67 for his ninth five-for in test cricket then brought Bangladesh closer to a victory, striking twice in his successive two overs.
He rattled the stump of Axar Patel for 34, with a delivery that turned viciously and had Rishbah Pant, the highest scorer for India in the first innings, leg-before for just 9.