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Including Mustafizur in team was a bold move: Mashrafe

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Mirpur (Bangladesh): Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has said the decision to include pacer Mustafizur Rahman in the team for the first One-Day International (ODI) against India was a bold one.

And so, fortune smiled on the hosts, he said, following their clinical 79-run win over their neighbours at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here on Thursday, as per reports.

To everyone’s surprise, Bangladesh included four pacers in the line-up. Debutant Mustafizur came into the attack as the fourth seamer. The 19-year-old had a dream debut, running through India’s batting line-up with a five-wicket haul.

Not only did the hosts take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, they also moved to seventh in ICC rankings overtaking the West Indies.

Mustafizur came into the team ahead of left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, who is a regular in the side.

“Sunny had been bowling very well. It was difficult to leave him out but we thought it is important to play Mustafizur. It was difficult to ignore him after seeing him in practice. We brought him in and got the result. It is true that fortune favours the brave,” Mashrafe said.

The skipper said they had opted for four seamers to make room for Mustafizur.

“We’ve been playing with three pacers since I became captain because I believe it is the bowlers who win matches. I felt it would be tough playing against Mustafizur on this wicket. So we opted for four pacers. I am delighted that he did well,” concluded Mashrafe.

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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia

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The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.

Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.

Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”

Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.

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