CHAMPIONS TROPHY

Experienced India face underdogs Bangladesh in semis

CRICKET-CT-2017-BAN-IND Team India during a training session at Edgbaston cricket ground ahead of the semi-final match against Bangladesh | AFP

Lets start with some altered facts. Bangladesh is not a one-upset team any longer. It holds its own as a serious contender. It is also not undeserving of being in final four of a prestigious International Cricket Council tournament. And it no longer does not know how to perform in ‘away’, non-subcontinental conditions.

At Edgbaston, it will not be a clash of big brother versus an-out-of-depth-neighbour-from-the-subcontinent. Far from it, for Bangladesh has has come a long way to become a serious opponent. India, which goes in as the favourites, will definitely take Bangladesh seriously. Not because it will be wary of being tripped by the eastern neighbours, but because in Bangladesh they face a worthy opponent.

Forget India’s shock exit at hands of Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup. Eight years later Bangladesh beat India in an ODI series at home in 2015. For M.S. Dhoni, the 2007 loss was the worst ever; for skipper Virat Kohli, who wasn’t around at that time, the 2015 loss would be a recent bitter memory. The Tigers have also beaten Pakistan and South Africa in ODI series at home. Its run in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 in Australia, where it reached quarter finals by beating England, is considered the turning point. Forget stage fright, Bangladesh are no longer over-awed by occasions.

Virat Kohli’s India has marched into the semi finals with comprehensive, one-sided victories over Pakistan and South Africa; they were tested only in one match by Sri Lanka. India's bowling department, spearheaded by its fast men, has held its own. The lack of seam and swing has been countered with disciplined lines and lengths, seamers looking to buy the wickets when the slow or flat decks have failed to provide assistance. The return of R. Ashwin makes Team India look as balanced as it could well be.

The batting looks settled, its top order of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli In high performing mode. Yuvraj Singh, playing his 300th ODI, has marshalled the middle order in his characteristic princely manner while M.S. Dhoni and Hardik Pandya have made use of their bats in effective manner.

Bangladesh are a different side now. Gone is the spin laden bowling attack, in its place is a three, if not four, pronged pace attack that has troubled the best in the business. All round skills of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim give Bangladesh an X factor. And while India is the more favoured team having experience of playing semi finals and finals of ICC event, Bangladesh is still on a learning curve.

But it is not batting and bowling alone that could be the deciding factors. The unused Edgbaston wicket, the weather and most importantly fielding by either sides could be the difference between win and loss.

Teams:

India: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik, Mohammed Shami.

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahaman, Mahmudullah Riyadh, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahaman, Taskin Ahmed, Mehedi Hossain Miraz, Mossadek Hossain, Sunzamul Islam, Shafiul Islam

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