Want to fail B’desh anything but pushovers in their own backyard
MIRPUR: The last time India were in Bangladesh, they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in the three-match bilateral series. It was the first series after the 2015 World Cup. It was the time when MS Dhoni had retired from Tests, and the ‘two-captain experiment’ was underway, with Virat Kohli the Test skipper and Dhoni staying on as skipper of the One-day and Twenty20 sides.
The defeat had resulted in a lot of criticism and self-reflection. It had also raised questions about the effectiveness of the two-captain theory and whether it suited India.
Ever since the theory has been put into practice, India’s results in limited overs have been mixed. As India face Bangladesh in the final of the Asia Cup on Sunday, Dhoni finally stands a chance to lead India to victory in the first major tournament under this arrangement.
VICTORY IN TWO SERIES Since retiring from Tests, Dhoni as captain of the two limitedovers sides has managed to lead India to victory in just two series. One, a three-match T20 series against Australia Down Under, and another against Sri Lanka at home; both coming earlier this year.
While Australia were experimenting their playing eleven to facilitate selection for the upcoming World Twenty20, an injury-plagued Sri Lanka had sent a second string side to India.
Australia did not pick their star players Steve Smith and David Warner, who chose to skip two matches in order to rest ahead of their one-dayers against New Zealand. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, saw as many as five of their main men back out due to injuries.
India swept the series Down Under 3-0 and beat Sri
Lanka 2-1, shockingly losing the first game. Prior to these two events, since
2015, India had not won a single limited-over series under Dhoni.
After announcing his retirement Twice in the last two years, India have come away from Bangladesh disappointed. In 2014, they lost the final of the ICC World T20 to Sri Lanka, while last year, they were beaten 2-1 in a bilateral ODI series by the hosts.
Sunday’s Asia Cup final, therefore, gives MS Dhoni’s men a wonderful opportunity to erase those memories and complete their impressive preparations for the latest edition of the World T20 which is a couple of days away. If India continue to portray the brand of 20-over cricket they have showcased since the start of the year, then the Asia Cup should be theirs for the taking, but it is well worth remembering, as many teams have found out the hard away in the last one year, that Bangladesh are anything but pushovers in their own backyard.
Particularly as a limitedovers side, Bangladesh have come on by leaps and bounds, and are in a position to compete consistently on an equal footing with the more established teams. I was impressed with the clinical manner in which they disposed of Pakistan’s challenge. The bowling unit worked as a professional unit even in the absence of Mustafizur Rahman, while the run-chase was masterminded expertly by Soumya Sarkar at the top, and completed by the cool composure of Mahmudullah.
Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman are the two Bangladesh batsmen that have stood out. The manner in which they have handled the short ball has been exemplary. Not only have they played it with poise, they have shown command over the pull stroke. They have had enough time on their hands to keep the pull down, and I for one believe that when you are not afraid of or uncertain against the short-pitched stuff, you are in a better space as a batsman.
EXPERIENCED CORE
While these two will again be key batting figures, Bangladesh will be buoyed by the return of Tamim Iqbal, who forms the experienced core alongside Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mashrafe Mortaza is an experienced and canny customer with the ball, and has additional pace resources in the shape of Al-amin Hossain and the increasingly impressive Taskin Ahmed. But more than the personnel, it is the belief in the Bangladeshi ranks and the power of 25,000 fans that will make a significant difference.
Against this backdrop, it can be safely assumed that there will be no complacency in the Indian ranks. Having won 9 of their 10 Twenty20 internationals since the end of January, there could have been a fear of India relaxing mentally knowing that Pakistan aren’t their opponents in the final, but Dhoni and Ravi Shastri will have worked hard to keep the team focused in the unlikely event of a lowering of intensity.
Once again, the focus will be on the Indian top-order in general and Virat Kohli in particular.