Bangladesh's chance to measure progress against India

by Pratyush Sinha • Last updated on

India are unbeaten in the tournament so far. © Asian Cricket Council

It's not quite a year since India last played Bangladesh in a T20I, but it feels longer. That night in Hyderabad, Sanju Samson opened the batting and cracked a 40-ball hundred, the second-fastest by an Indian at the time. Since then, Abhishek Sharma has gone past his record, Shubman Gill has taken his opening slot, and Samson himself has slipped into the middle order, struggling to look like the player who once thrived against the new ball in that series.

What hasn't changed, though, is the gulf between the two teams. In the time since, India have looked a level above almost everyone they've faced: South Africa, England and now every opponent in this Asia Cup. Even in that Hyderabad game, when Suryakumar Yadav chose to bat first despite heavy dew, India piled on a hundred in the first 43 balls. From there, Bangladesh were chasing shadows.

Now, they meet again. Bangladesh come in with a little more confidence, having beaten Sri Lanka in their Super Four match after losing to them in the league stage. Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy steered a 169-run chase that stretched to the penultimate ball but never really looked in doubt. For a side searching for markers of progress, it was a significant win.

What could narrow the gap further this time is the nature of the pitches in Dubai. They've been low and slow, with not a single 200-plus score all tournament, far from the flat decks on which India swept Bangladesh 3-0 last year. In the aftermath of that series defeat, both Towhid Hridoy and captain Litton Das had spoken about their lack of exposure to good T20 surfaces and the need to remodel pitches back home.

Now, back in more familiar conditions, the question is whether Bangladesh can show they are better than they looked the last time they faced India. India, in turn, can assure themselves of a final berth with a win, given Pakistan beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

When: Sep 24, 06:30 PM LOCAL / 8:00 PM IST

Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium

What to expect: The pitch against Pakistan, a used surface, saw heavy rolling in the lead-up to the toss and played much better. There's been a little bit more dew lately during India's practice sessions at the ICC Academy, and with the evening temperatures continuing to dip in the city, we can expect some more of it during the match. As for the pitch, another slow and low surface is in the offing.

Head to head: India 16 - 1 Bangladesh

Team news:

India:

Injuries/Availability: Axar Patel, warming up before the Pakistan match with a neck patch, ended up bowling just an over and his selection looked a last-minute call, given the balance he lends. But he'd have a few more days to recover from the head blow in Abu Dhabi, and is likely to feature.

Tactics & matchups: The same XI is likely to take the field. Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach, indicated that India are likely to play their best side until they are assured of a spot in the final. That means Jasprit Bumrah, who was India's most expensive bowler against Pakistan, plays. Sanju Samson's numbers as a non-opener for India don't add up well (23 matches, 408 runs, average of 20.40 and a SR of 121.8) and Bangladesh would be looking to target him with spin in the middle overs.

Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

Bangladesh:

Injuries/Availability: Litton Das sustained a back strain during training and a call on him is expected to be taken closer to match start.

Tactics & matchups: Bangladesh might want to play Tanzim Sakib, who enjoys a decent record against India, and Shoriful Islam is likely to make way. Bangladesh have been among the better sides with the new ball in this tournament, conceding at just 6.79 per over in powerplay. While they haven't used Taskin Ahmed much in the first six overs, he has been a standout when given a chance and could challenge India's red-hot opening pair. Since the start of 2023, only Richard Ngarava and Arshdeep Singh have picked more powerplay wickets among Full Member teams than Taskin's 28.

Probable XI: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das(w/c), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan/Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam/Tanzim Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman

Did you know?

- India vs Bangladesh is the most lopsided rivalry in T20Is among Full Member teams.

- Abhishek Sharma has been exceptional in powerplay, scoring 132 runs from just 61 balls at a SR of 216.29.

- Shivam Dube has bowled his full quota of four overs just thrice in his career across 39 T20Is. Two of those instances have come under the coaching of Gautam Gambhir.

- Mustafizur Rahman is one short of 150 wickets in the format

Who said what?

With the way Shubman and Abhishek are going at the top and you've got your captain batting at three and the way Tilak played, we're really looking for a No.5. And we believe Sanju is the best man for that job and we've got no doubt that he'll figure out how to play that role in the future. - Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach.

Every team has the ability to beat India. The game is played on the day. It's not what India has done before. It's what happens on Wednesday. It's what happens during that three and a half hour period. - Phil Simmons, Bangladesh head coach

© Cricbuzz

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