The Indian cricket team started off their Bangladesh tour with a defeat in the first ODI. The match went down the wire and Indian lost it because of their poor fielding and before that horrible batting performance in Mirpur. However now it is time to look forward and the former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra feels that the men in blue will have to come out of their shells and restore parity to make the last game a decider.
The Indians lost the opening game by just one wicket as the hosts were very good with the ball in hand. Restricting India under 200 is no mean feat anywhere in the world. They achieved that and then when it came to chase the target they faltered but a historic last wicket partnership between Mehidy Hassan Miraj and Mustafizur Rahman saw bangladesh win the first One Day International.
Predicting the outcome of the second ODI, Chopra shared how he feels that the Indian team will comeback and win big in the second game and go into the last match with all to play for mentality in Chattogram.
“I am going with India to win, fingers crossed, toes crossed because we don’t want the last match to be a dead rubber. If we fall behind Bangladesh 2-0 and the series is over in the second match, we will not be able to digest that.”
Chopra expects Virat Kohli and KL Rahul to step up with the bat. Rahul was fabulous in the first match as well as they scored the only fifty of the game and batted really well. While the former Indian opening batter understands that this will once again be a very tricky surface to bat on and to show application there was brilliant.
“Kohli and Rahul will together score more than 50 runs. I am not saying that Kohli will do that alone although he is in good form and might do that. But these are tough batting conditions – so one good ball, one bad shot, one wrong decision or a good catch – those things do happen,” he explained.
It will be now or never for the Indian team as they will need their top players to step up and perform. Apart from KL Rahul’s 70 no one really stood out in Mirpur in the first ODI> Also the fielding has been very poor. So Rahul Dravid and his men will hope that they can secure a win tonight.
