Ring masters: Unbeaten India out to tame Bangla Tigers and put one foot in semifinals
North Sound, June 21
The ever-present tension of their over a decade-long big-stage rivalry would make for an engrossing sub-plot when an undefeated India take on a faltering Bangladesh, both teams desperately hoping for their batting stars to strike form in the Super Eights clash of the T20 World Cup here tomorrow.
The overall head-to-head record is overwhelmingly in India’s favour but Bangladesh have been known to be plucky and Rohit Sharma and his men would be wary of that.
The two South Asian neighbours have also been locked in some off-field drama in the past with Bangladesh often expressing its misgivings with India’s financial might in the sport.
1 India have lost only once against Bangladesh in T20Is (in 2019), winning 12 of the 13 games played between the neighbours. India have a 3-0 record against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup
454 Rohit Sharma has scored the most runs in the history of the India-Bangladesh T20I rivalry
He’s looking even better and when you look at all the top-class bowlers around the world. There’s a big margin between them and Bumrah and India is so fortunate to have him in the playing XI. Sanjay Manjrekar, former India batter
The kind of understanding of his own bowling… even when he got Rahmanullah Gurbaz out with a slower ball and wide line. He gets the execution perfect. For each batsman he would have figured that out and then doing it right in a big game. This doesn’t come easily. Anil Kumble, former India captain
At the ongoing World Cup, though, there is no doubt that India are 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.
India, though, would be hoping that the players who have not performed as per expectations so far deliver the goods.
Top of that list would be the opening pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom have got 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 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 USA in a group league game but it was Suryakumar Yadav’s effort that made the difference ultimately. 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 are 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. …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 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.
