Mirpur, Mar 20: India have been knocked out of the 2012 Asia Cup. This after Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the final league encounter played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium here in Dhaka today to set up a final clash with Pakistan on March 22.

India, who beat Sri Lanka and Pakistan in this competition, but were beaten by Bangladesh in their second league match, needed the Lankans to beat the hosts to go through to the final. Since, a win for Bangladesh in today’s game means that both India and the local favourites are on equal points (eight points from three matches), Bangladesh have gone by virtue of having beaten India earlier.

The stars for Bangladesh in their win against Sri Lanka were Shakib Al Hasan and medium-pacer Nazmul Hossain. Hossain, who didn’t play a single game before today’s outing against the Lankans, put the opposition on the backfoot by removing their top three batsmen before the first 10 overs of the game had been bowled. The left-arm spin combination of Shakib and Abdur Razzak then took four wickets between them as the hosts bowled Sri Lanka out for 232 in 49.5 overs.

Chamara Kapugegedera (62) was the top scorer for Sri Lanka while Lahiru Thirimanne and Upul Tharanga scored 48 each.

With rain playing spoilsport at the beginning of the Bangladesh innings, the match was reduced to 40 overs with the hosts needing to chase 212 under the Duckworth/Lewis method. Tamim Iqbal (59) and Shakib (56) struck half-centuries to help Bangladesh overcome a wobbly start and build a good platform for the run chase. Then, with Nasir Hossain (36*) and Mahmudullah (32*) sharing a 77-run unbeaten stand for the sixth wicket, the hosts reached home with 17 deliveries left to be bowled in the game. Shakib was declared the man-of-the-match for his allround performance (two for 56 and 46-ball 56).

India’s ouster means that two of Virat Kohli’s last three ODI centuries may have allowed the side to pull off stunning run chases, but the Indians have eventually been eliminated from the competition. In Hobart, on February 28, Kohli hit an unbeaten 133 against Sri Lanka to chase down 320 under 40 overs in the penultimate league match but with Sri Lanka beating Australia in the final league outing, India had to bow out of the tri-series. Similarly, Kohli’s feisty 148-ball 183 on March 18, which helped the Indians overhaul Pakistan’s score of 329, has now gone in vain.

India’s next international fixture is the one off T20 International they will play against South Africa for the New Age Cup at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on Friday, March 30.