Bangladesh India T20 international series at 1-1 is now delicately poised. New look Bangladesh shocked strong India in the first match in New Delhi by 7 wickets. Shocked and awed India bounced back with vengeance in the second match at Rajkot drowning the tourists by 8 wickets. The third and final match of the series is now expected to become a mouth watering contest. It is extremely difficult for Bangladesh to rewrite history but not absolutely impossible.
Youthful Bangladesh would achieve a glorious milestone and it will be a dream coming true .Beating India in India in any format of cricket is now considered climbing mouth Everest by a physically handicapped person. Mighty India possess so many horses for the courses that it is so difficult finding a chink in their arms. Bangladesh found it at New Delhi and have to search for it again today to even make a contest.
Toss Gets Vital:
Weather and the wicket make toss a factor in the shorter version of the game. Wicket and outfield get moistened these days with winter round the corner. A big cyclone is still in the vicinity. Team winning the toss usually opts to bowl first knowing the target to chase. It makes planning batting strategy. India has at least three four prolific top order batsmen. Rohit alone can make any target look inadequate if he is not consumed early. Shikhar Dhawan also can play a long match winning innings however unpleasant his batting looks like. SreshIyer, Rishab Pant and Pandey can also win matches. But of all the wicket of Rohit Shama early is the key. If his wicket can be taken within the first two to three overs a realistic opportunity appears getting India restricted to a modest chase able score .That is what Bangladesh did in the first match and won . Bangladesh failed doing that in the second and Rohit made it a cake walk for India. If Bengal tigers have to feast with Indian curry tonight they must cook a plot successfully to get rid of Rollicking Rohit as early as possible.
We know Bangladesh think tank is in a dilemma whether or not playing left arm spinner Arafat Sunny. Playing him and letting him bowling early to Rohit may not be a bad option. But whom he will replace. All thre pacers Shafiul, Al Amin and Mustafiz looked good in the first two matches. Two front line spinners off spinner Afiff and leg spinner Aminul are all-rounders as well. The only possible opportunity is playing a pacer less. May be Al Amin can be replaced. But then Mustafiz is not in his element so far.
Batting looks Ok. At least four players in the second match had start but could not convert to some thing substantial. In the shortest version well set players have to play big enough innings for a large enough winning score. 25 -30 runs even by three or four batsmen on an easy paced wicket can not ensure or insure a team against a formidable batting unit. At Rajkot a target of 155 was very soft for team India with big guns Rohit and Shikhar guns blazing. Bangladesh required at least 180 which did not look like impossible the way Naim and Liton kicked off. Bangladesh failed to maintain the composure. The great start melted away. Some one at the top order must play longer innings around whom batting has to revolve. May be Mushfique is the key. Mahmudullah must contribute also. In the crunch match youngsters may not be able to absorb pressure. A longer innings from Liton is also expected. Mosaddeq and Afif are also expected making useful contributions with the bat.
Bangladesh must bat bowl and field like a well oiled machine. Pacers must pitch on the right channel and length, spinners must bowl tight and tweak, fielders must be agile and sharp and finally batsmen must bat with a plan and purpose. Indian bowling and fielding would not make it easy at all for Bangladesh batsmen.
India will never let its honour and pride hurt easily. They are not going to make it easy for team tigers. India has wealth of talent. Some of the brilliant young players like Iyer, Pant, Pandey, Dube have to prove their point. They have to cement their position in the team with ICC T20 world cup knocking on the door. Pressure is squarely on team India for winning. None will take too seriously if Bangladesh loose. But winning will make achieving an enviable milestone which every Bangladeshis cherishes.
Well it is difficult but not impossible.
BDST: 1306 HRS, NOV 10, 2019
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