The ever-present tension of their over a decade-long big-stage rivalry would make for an engrossing sub-plot when an undefeated India takes on a faltering Bangladesh in the Super Eights clash of the T20 World Cup on Saturday. The overall head-to-head record is overwhelmingly in India’s favor, but Bangladesh has been known to be plucky, and Rohit Sharma and his men would be wary of that. The two South Asian neighbors have also been locked in some off-field drama in the past, with Bangladesh often expressing its misgivings about India’s financial might in the sport.
At the ongoing World Cup, though, there is no doubt that India is as mighty a cricketing power to be a serious title contender. The Men in Blue produced a professional performance against Afghanistan in their opening Super Eights match. With only a travel day separating its remaining two games, India would be hoping that the players, who have not performed as per expectations so far, deliver the goods. At the top of that list would be the opening pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom have gotten starts, but have not been able to turn them into defining knocks. They have made a conscious effort to force the pace but have ended with minimal returns.
Another under-pressure team member is left-hander Shivam Dube, who was picked in the World Cup squad to hammer sixes in the middle and death overs. However, the IPL form that helped him seal a World Cup berth has deserted him and he is yet to come to the party. The southpaw did make an unbeaten 31 against the USA in a group league game, but it was Suryakumar Yadav’s effort that made the difference. Another failure might force the team management to consider Sanju Samson in the middle order. The biggest positive in the batting department in the Afghanistan game was Hardik Pandya’s cameo. The all-rounder is known for his brutal hitting, and that was on display.
On the bowling front, India is expected to retain the combination, having given the first opportunity of the tournament to crafty left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The wickets in the Caribbean have provided enough help for the spinners, prompting India to play three at the Kensington Oval. The combination is likely to continue here with Kuldeep retaining his place at the expense of Mohammed Siraj. “Playing three left-arm spinners, I feel there is an advantage. There are three left-arm spinners out of which we have two finger spinners and one wrist spinner,” said Axar Patel after the Afghanistan game. “The combination of the three of us is very good. We have a good team. We communicate well. Like whoever comes to bowl first, we communicate what is working and what is not. I think that is very important when you bowl as a unit,” he added.
India’s sole aim in the Caribbean is to win the trophy and a solid performance against Bangladesh will be another step forward in that context. A tougher battle awaits against Australia on June 24.
Bangladesh, which has struggled with its batting throughout the tournament, finds itself in a must-win situation after the loss to Australia. The lack of power-hitters is hurting the team, and there is no quick fix to that problem. The under performance of openers Litton Das and Tanzid Khan has also compounded Bangladesh’s woes. “It’s very important for the top-order to get runs like we did today, that’s a big boost, hopefully the bowlers will continue their form. Looking for a good show against India in our next match,” Bangladesh captain Najmul Shanto said after the loss to Australia here on Friday. Both Shanto (41) and Towhid Hridoy (40) did well but the rest of the line-up was not quite up to it. They will need to find a way to tackle Bumrah, who has been sensational thus far, taking eight wickets at an unparalleled economy rate of 3.46 runs per over. The pacers, led by Mustafizur Rahman, have done alright but leg-spinner Rishad Hossain needs more support in the spin department.
