India will look to register its fourth win from as many matches in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 when they cross swords with a struggling Bangladesh in Pune on Thursday. While the knowledge of conditions and a packed house at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium promise India the best atmosphere, Bangladesh are no pushovers despite an unimpressive record in the tournament so far. They were partly responsible for India's early exit from the 2007 edition of the tournament and have enough firepower to pull a similar result yet again. As Rohit Sharma and co prepare to take on another familiar rival from the subcontinent, here are five things for the fans to know ahead of the clash.
India vs Bangladesh ICC World Cup match - Pitch Report: The wicket at Pune's MCA Stadium is reportedly batting-friendly. If the last 10 games played in the venue are considered, the average first-innings score is above 308. The team batting first got a record of winning 57 per cent of the matches on the ground, a news report said. If the bowlers fail to keep their line and length tight, it is going to be a run fest!
India vs Bangladesh ODI World Cup 2023 - Weather Forecast: The clash between the neighbours is not threatened by rain, weather reports showed. Pune is expected to experience pleasant weather on Thursday. The day temperature will be around 30-33 degrees Celsius with 41% humidity.
Rohit Sharma - The predator who hunts tigers: Bangladesh are not to be blamed if they spend a large part of their preparation time drawing up plans against Rohit Sharma. If he scores a ton on Thursday, it will be his third century in a row in World Cup encounters against Bangladesh. Hitman scored 137 against the Tigers in the quarterfinal of the 2015 World Cup in Melbourne before making 104 in Birmingham in 2019. The Indian captain's current form should further worry Bangladesh as he has been at the forefront of India's domination in the last couple of matches with stunning knocks of 86 against Pakistan and 131 against Afghanistan.
Match fitness of numero uno all-rounder under question: Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan had sustained a left quadriceps niggle but had a good net session on Wednesday. But things are not looking bright from Bangladesh's perspective as Shakib has not been declared 100% match fit.
ALSO READ: How World Cup 2023 impacted latest ICC ODI rankings?
According to Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, the influential all-rounder will only play if he feels fully fit. The team will not take a risk, he added. "If he is not ready to play, we won't risk it. If he is ready, there's a chance of him playing tomorrow (Thursday)," Hathurusingha was quoted as saying by PTI.
Bangladesh pin hope on recent record against India: Bangladesh managed to defeat India thrice in their last four ODI meetings over the last few months. They got the better of the Men in Blue twice in a bilateral series in December 2022 before emerging triumphant in an Asia Cup Super Four match recently. However, India has been a force to reckon with so far in the tournament while Bangladesh tasted defeat at the hands of New Zealand and England.
SQUADS | India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav.
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das (wk), Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
