India begin another ICC quest against tricky Bangladesh
Dubai: The poor turnout at the start of the Pakistan-New Zealand Champions Trophy opener in Karachi on Wednesday had former England skipper Michael Vaughan wondering whether the locals were told there was a game on. But that won’t be a problem when India take on Bangladesh in their opener 1,187 km away in Dubai. India players have fun playing football during practice in Dubai on Wednesday. (AFP)
Most of the stands will be blue, but Bangladesh, like always, will be backed by a passionate support base. And even though many consider it a no-contest, Bangladesh have run India close in recent times and that should be reason enough for a Jasprit Bumrah-less team to not get complacent.
The Champions Trophy format is compact, a virtual knockout. And India are playing in Dubai where four years ago. Where they began with two defeats and saw the doors shut on their T20 World Cup campaign.
“In the ODI World Cup, you get 10 matches to play. So, even if you miss a few, there is always a chance to come back,” India captain Rohit Sharma told reporters on match eve. “In T20 and Champions Trophy, even if you lose one match, the pressure increases. But I don’t want to overthink and go mad over it. Let the game start and we will see.”
Bangladesh have beaten India in an ICC event just once -- in the 2007 ODI World Cup. It was a loss that hurt India and saw them eventually crash out of the tournament in the first round.
“It’s happening after 2017, which is almost 8 years now,” he replied about the importance of the Champions Trophy. “But look, every ICC title is important. You are thinking about how you want to lift the trophy, but there are so many things that you have to do right before holding on to that trophy. We will be thinking about taking one game at a time and keep moving forward.”
India have the firepower and the ODI series win against England has helped them address many of their concerns. Their two most experienced batters, Rohit and Virat Kohli, have found some runs too.
Rohit, Kohli factor
Rohit needed the hundred he got at Cuttack. Not just as a player, but captain too. Man-management comes naturally to him. It’s been one his great strengths as captain. That crucial element of his captaincy appeared to have been affected by his batting struggles in Australia.
Kohli’s problems are different. It’s not that his runs have gone completely dry. He looks good at the crease, attacking, defending and play-acting with opponents. But he can’t channel his A game when faced with the channel of uncertainty. It’s swelled into a difficulty of alarming proportions.
The one respite is that tackling such technical shortcomings in ODI cricket is a tad easier. Not every bowler can consistently bowl disciplined lines outside off-stump. An error in length and Kohli will earn himself a breather with a dab to third man. Lack a bit of bowling venom and he will find a way to drive. Despite being frequently dismissed outside the off-stump, the drive is still Kohli’s most productive stroke.
The Champions Trophy could be another war of attrition for Kohli -- a great batter battling his inner demons; overcoming them on occasions, falling prey sometimes, but refusing to give up. It hasn’t been easy. But Kohli would love to stamp his authority on another world event. Nothing would make him and India happier.
Fielding drills
On the eve of the match, the Indian team did some catching drills under lights. Mostly to get used to the Dubai International Stadium’s LED lights which have earned notoriety for inducing catching lapses. The bowlers only had a light workout. The weather has been inconsistent. The dew could be a factor.
“The dew is unpredictable,” said Rohit, coughing. Not just the Indian captain, a few of his teammates are also known to be under the weather.
“In terms of the overhead conditions, I think it’s not a massive difference (between India and Dubai). If it is overcast, we have the arsenal to combat that.”
So do Bangladesh. For once, the Bangladeshi pace attack looks stronger than their spin might. There is plenty of buzz around their newest pace force Nahid Rana. They also have the experience of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman to rely on. The Dubai pitch is expected to be on the slower side and will pose a different kind of challenge.
Both teams would like nothing more than to get another ICC tournament off to a good start but the one that crosses the gulf between hope and reality first is likely to come out on top.
Most of the stands will be blue, but Bangladesh, like always, will be backed by a passionate support base. And even though many consider it a no-contest, Bangladesh have run India close in recent times and that should be reason enough for a Jasprit Bumrah-less team to not get complacent.
The Champions Trophy format is compact, a virtual knockout. And India are playing in Dubai where four years ago. Where they began with two defeats and saw the doors shut on their T20 World Cup campaign.
“In the ODI World Cup, you get 10 matches to play. So, even if you miss a few, there is always a chance to come back,” India captain Rohit Sharma told reporters on match eve. “In T20 and Champions Trophy, even if you lose one match, the pressure increases. But I don’t want to overthink and go mad over it. Let the game start and we will see.”
Bangladesh have beaten India in an ICC event just once -- in the 2007 ODI World Cup. It was a loss that hurt India and saw them eventually crash out of the tournament in the first round.
“It’s happening after 2017, which is almost 8 years now,” he replied about the importance of the Champions Trophy. “But look, every ICC title is important. You are thinking about how you want to lift the trophy, but there are so many things that you have to do right before holding on to that trophy. We will be thinking about taking one game at a time and keep moving forward.”
India have the firepower and the ODI series win against England has helped them address many of their concerns. Their two most experienced batters, Rohit and Virat Kohli, have found some runs too.
Rohit, Kohli factor
Rohit needed the hundred he got at Cuttack. Not just as a player, but captain too. Man-management comes naturally to him. It’s been one his great strengths as captain. That crucial element of his captaincy appeared to have been affected by his batting struggles in Australia.
Kohli’s problems are different. It’s not that his runs have gone completely dry. He looks good at the crease, attacking, defending and play-acting with opponents. But he can’t channel his A game when faced with the channel of uncertainty. It’s swelled into a difficulty of alarming proportions.
The one respite is that tackling such technical shortcomings in ODI cricket is a tad easier. Not every bowler can consistently bowl disciplined lines outside off-stump. An error in length and Kohli will earn himself a breather with a dab to third man. Lack a bit of bowling venom and he will find a way to drive. Despite being frequently dismissed outside the off-stump, the drive is still Kohli’s most productive stroke.
The Champions Trophy could be another war of attrition for Kohli -- a great batter battling his inner demons; overcoming them on occasions, falling prey sometimes, but refusing to give up. It hasn’t been easy. But Kohli would love to stamp his authority on another world event. Nothing would make him and India happier.
Fielding drills
On the eve of the match, the Indian team did some catching drills under lights. Mostly to get used to the Dubai International Stadium’s LED lights which have earned notoriety for inducing catching lapses. The bowlers only had a light workout. The weather has been inconsistent. The dew could be a factor.
“The dew is unpredictable,” said Rohit, coughing. Not just the Indian captain, a few of his teammates are also known to be under the weather.
“In terms of the overhead conditions, I think it’s not a massive difference (between India and Dubai). If it is overcast, we have the arsenal to combat that.”
So do Bangladesh. For once, the Bangladeshi pace attack looks stronger than their spin might. There is plenty of buzz around their newest pace force Nahid Rana. They also have the experience of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman to rely on. The Dubai pitch is expected to be on the slower side and will pose a different kind of challenge.
Both teams would like nothing more than to get another ICC tournament off to a good start but the one that crosses the gulf between hope and reality first is likely to come out on top.
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