When world will be eating, drinking and dreaming football from 12th June, Bangladesh and Indian Cricket teams will lock horns on a three-match ODI Cricket series at Dhaka in Bangladesh.
India for reasons best known to them opted to rest many of the top first choice players- Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed. India will tour England this summer and that series is definitely more demanding. But sending a second string team to Bangladesh which even now regarded as a difficult team to beat in home condition in ODI may prove counterproductive if only tigers can pull up their shocks and play to potential.
Suresh Raina will lead the 15-member Indian team which has only four members who have tickets to England: Chetasawar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny and Wriddhiman Saha. Many would consider it arrogance and showing some disgrace to Bangladesh. But India has taken a calculative risk in second a below full strength team. If they lose India will have an excuse and if they win they will boast of their strength as way above Bangladesh. On the other hand Bangladesh cricket will be walking on a double edged sword. Losing to this under full strength Indian team will further sink the morale of an underperforming Bangladesh team. But a win in the series will give a huge boost. Whatever is the strength of Indian team it is their national side which includes several young players who have just performed admirably in just concluded IPL rubbing shoulders with the bests of the best in world Cricket.
Not to forget that Tigers twice white washed full strength New Zealand team in Bangladesh. They also beat full strength India and Sri Lanka in Asia cup in not too distant past. The tigers definitely have potential to challenge any cricket team on their day at least in Bangladesh. But we must admit that tigers played way below their best in the recent past. Players looked a bit panicked and out of shorts against Sri Lanka in the bilateral series (though some matches were very close), they sunk to all time low in Asia cup and T20 World cup. Tiger fans will expect that the team has rubbed off those terrible memories as bad dreams and are ready for a new mission.
Tigers do not have any reason to be complacent that several Indian top players are not in the side that Suresh Raina is bringing. They still have enough quality to take stern tests of Bangladesh. Tigers have to play to their full potential and remain positively focused. One bright aspect is that Shakib just returned after a heroic all round performance in IPL. Bangladesh is under a new coaching team. I will rate Bangladesh to start as favorite to win the series.
Let us have a look at the Indian 15 coming to Bangladesh
Suresh Raina (c), Robin Uthappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Wriddhiman Saha, Parvez Rasool, Akshar Patel, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Stuart Binny, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra.
Robin Uthappa in the just concluded IPL was the highest scorer and a major contributor to KKR winning the IPL 2014. He scored 660 runs in 16 matches and has made a return to the Indian side after more than two years. He will be in red hot form .Specially for the low slow wicket he can kill Bangladeshi bowlers if Mashrafee and Taskin cannot remove him early.
Ajinka Rahane and Chetasawar Pujara are regular players of Indian national team and quality batsmen. But Bangladesh must be very careful against Raina and Wriddhiman Saha as both can play match winning cameos. Raina is brilliant attacking batsman and excellent fielder. I don’t think Ambati Raydu or Manoj Tiwary will cause any worry. Vinay Kumar, Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav must not be threatening in Bangladesh condition. But Bangladesh must take a note of IPL's leading wicket-taker Mohit Sharma (23 wickets in 16 matches) and left-arm spinner Akshar Patel, who won the emerging player-of-the-season award after taking 17 wickets in as many games. Amit Misra and new boy Aksar Patel may create some problems though Bangladesh bat deep and there are some good players of spin. We find no reasons that Bangladesh cannot handle this Indian team with competence. The team is definitely thin in Batting and spin bowling. The team some brilliant fielders and scoring against them freely may not be easy though.
But all 15 members of the Indian squad would have a strong motivation: to impress the selectors and seal a permanent spot in the national team. Their determination and resolve to do well could just come back and bite Bangladesh if they take the visitors lightly.
Bangladesh Squad:
Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Huq, Shamsur Rahman, Sakibul Hasan,Mominul Huq Mahmuduulah Riad , Nasir Ahmed , Mithun Ali, Mashrafee Bin Murtaza ,Abdur Razzak ,Taskin Ahmed and Sohag Gazi
Bangladesh will definitely look towards Tamim, Shakib and Mushfiqur to apply their best to rejuvenate the sagging morale of the team. Experienced Imrul Kayes has recently played brilliantly in domestic circle. The youngsters like Shamsur Raman, Anamul Huq, Mominul Huq and Mithum Ali are also expected to contribute. For a while Nasir did not shine. A good series is due from him as well. There are no reasons why Bangladesh cannot score 270 + in all three ODI against the not too menacing Indian attack. If that can be done Bangladesh definitely has the variety of bowling attack and fielding to restrict India.
The young exciting Taskin can be an ideal foil for veteran Mashrafee with the new ball. We hope Heath Streak introduction to Bangladesh cricket will arm Bangladeshi pacers with penetration and control. But Bangladesh will rely on its spin attack of Shakib, Razzak, Sohag Gazi and Riad. Fielding needs to be smart and agile. Bangladesh attack has quality and variety .If the bowling is backed up by aggressive field setting and good fielding Indian batting may have to struggling against the attack at Dhaka wicket.
We conclude forecasting that Tigers has potential to even whitewash the understrength Indian team if they can hold their own. That will be a befitting response to Indian underestimating Bangladesh. Let there be joy for all.
BDST: 1036 HRS, JUN 11, 2014
