CWC 2019: BAN vs IND Preview: Bangladesh face hungry India in must-win clash

India succumbed to their first loss in the 2019 World Cup as they went down to England by 31 runs. Indian fans did not take kindly to the defeat and questioned the intent of the Indian batsmen, especially MS Dhoni. The wounded side will now be eyeing to make a statement against Bangladesh who simply cannot afford to lose this game.

Bangladesh started the tournament promisingly by beating South Africa. They downed West Indies and Afghanistan after that but it is now that they face their toughest test. Bangladesh need to win both their games against India and Pakistan to keep their semi-finals hopes alive. The Tigers will need to play out of their skin if they have to stun this mighty Asian giant.

Also read: Qualification scenario – Who needs to do what?

After five wins from their seven matches, India are just one win from securing their spot in the final four. Leading into the game, they will be better prepared as they played their England game on the same strip. India need their middle-order to stand up and deliver before the Men in Blue reach the business end.

Match Info

Bangladesh vs India, 40th Match

Edgbaston, Birmingham (03:00 PM IST)

The track was a batting beauty in the first innings of India-England match. It gradually became slower and the ball was stopping a bit. With the same track being used in this game, we may see the team winning the toss opting to bat first.

Head-to-Head

Both Indian and Bangladeshi fans can never forget the first World Cup encounter between their sides. Bangladesh stunned India with a five-wicket win and later qualified ahead of the Asian giant in the 2007 World Cup. Since then, India has comfortably defeated the eastern neighbour twice in the World Cup.

Team News

Bangladesh

Mashrafe Mortaza is likely to persist with the winning combination. Mosaddek Hossain and Saifuddin returned to the side against Afghanistan and should retain their places. Mahmudullah, who was suffering a calf injury in the match, should be fit to take part in this match. The side looks well-balanced.

India

Vijay Shankar, who was dropped from the England game, has been ruled out of the tournament owing to his toe injury. Mayank Agarwal will be flying in as his replacement. After the loss, India may make a change in the playing XI. With short boundaries in play, Bhuvneshwar may return in place of Yuzvendra Chahal. There’s also a case of Dinesh Karthik’s place in the side with Kedar Jadhav not bowling. However, Virat has been stubborn in the team selection and an unchanged team is the most likely option.

Key Players

Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh): The Bangladeshi opener has not been his usual self in this World Cup. In six knocks so far, the left-hander has scored 205 runs with only one half-century. In the 2007 World Cup, it was his 51 from 53 balls that pushed India on the backfoot. Tamim will have to reprise something similar if Bangladesh are to shock India once again. He has played 276 balls in the tournament without hitting a six, he’ll have a great chance to correct it now.

Rohit Sharma (India): With three centuries already on his name, Rohit will be a great threat for Bangladesh. The opener has a liking for the side. In six meetings since the last World Cup, Rohit has scored 346 runs with an average touching 87. When India and Bangladesh met in the 2015 quarter-final, the batsman blasted 137 to help seal a 109-run victory. His worry will be playing out Mustafizur Rehman, who has dismissed him thrice in ODIs.

Probable XI

Bangladesh: L Das, T Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, M Rahim (wk), S Sarkar, Mahmudullah, M Hossain, M Saifuddin, M Hasan, M Mortaza, M Rahman

India: KL Rahul, R Sharma, V Kohli (c), R Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), K Jadhav, H Pandya, M Shami, K Yadav, Y Chahal/B Kumar, J Bumrah

Stat attack

# Virat Kohli is the first captain to score 5 consecutive 50s in World Cups.

# Shakib Al Hasan is in the first player to score 400+ runs and take 10 wickets in a single World Cup edition.

# Tamim Iqbal against Jasprit Bumrah – 6 runs from 32 balls, Dismissals 0.