India start as firm favourites against Bangladesh in this Super 8 clash of T20 World Cup 2024. They are looking in pretty good shape going into this game. The one area that requires improvement is the top-order. I know that the wickets have not been conducive for solid top order batting. But India know that they have a really big game coming up soon against the Australians and they would feel more confident against them if their top-order starts firing before that clash. Hopefully, the pitch will be a good one for the game vs Bangladesh and Indian top order will be able to fire.
While it is a worry for India that their top-order runs are not coming in this tournament, there is a positive side to it as well. The top-order failure it is giving the other batters in the middle a chance to spend time at the crease. These batters have got the opportunities to score in competitive environment, finding a way to take their side to a good score. These contributions might not be big numbers but they are critical in the context of the game. Rishabh Pant has been a great selection for India, playing at number 3. Suryakumar Yadav has played some very significant knocks. He has scored runs in conditions which have not been very favourable. That is a huge positive for India.
When you want to win such big tournaments, it is important to peak at the right time. We are now starting to get into the crucial stage of the tournament when teams begin to either peak or lose momentum. The most competitive stage of the tournament is round the corner. Therefore, peaking now is very important. It will be interesting to see whether Indian top-order can finally hit form from here or not.
As far as India’s bowling is concerned, I would reiterate the same point about Kuldeep Yadav which I mentioned in my India vs Afghanistan preview: the Men in Blue are a better side with him in it. But of course, Kuldeep should play if the conditions are such. If the conditions are favouring hugely to the seamers, it will be difficult to get Kuldeep in. But if it is a good cricket pitch and the conditions are aligned, then Kuldeep has to play.
In my view, India almost have the perfect bowling lineup. There is Jasprit Bumrah, who I believe is the best in the world. As simple as that. But let’s not forget Arshdeep Singh, who deserves more appreciation that he usually gets. He is an outstanding cricketer with the way he sets things off in the beginning and the way he bowls in the end. Bumrah, understandably, takes a lot of headlines but I think Arshdeep’s role has been very crucial for India.
There is Hardik Pandya, who is in good bowling form this tournament, to provide a great balance to the team. The one missing element probably in India’s arsenal could be an off-spin bowling all-rounder. They cover this missing element with taller Axar Patel who bowls into the pitch and a mix of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, adding balance with seamers. So, their bowling
looks in very good shape. If their top-order batting could start scoring the runs and set the game up initially, India will very hard to beat.
Coming to Bangladesh, it will be a huge challenge for them to topple India in this crucial tie. Whenever I see teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, I wonder if these sides can notch up a score of 220 or 230 consistently, whether batting first or batting second. For these teams, achieving such big scores consistently is and should be their next target. I am not saying these sides do not have the resources to score a 220 in a T20I but can they do it on a more consistent basis, is the question.
Bangladesh have some outstanding and exceptionally talented cricketers who have bene there for a long time. But their batting has looked fragile. Bangladesh’s weakness lies there and I feel they need to bat really well if they want to beat India. I am not saying you can write them off against India as they do have some really good players in form of Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy and Shakib Al Hasan. I have been a huge fan of all-round skills of Mahmudullah. But they will need to be very aggressive in their approach on Saturday.
I also feel that Mustafizur Rahman ‘The Fizz’ must bowl the first over for them against India. There is a big matchup that Bangladesh can exploit by giving the new ball to The Fizz against Rohit Sharma. The Indian captain has not always liked facing left-arm pace straightaway. ‘The Fizz’, to me, is their best fast bowler. Bangladesh’s best chance is to use their best and try and get rid of a top-order that has not been scoring a lot of runs. Put them under pressure from ball 1 and see how things from there.
If India bat first and score a big score, Bangladesh are going to find it very difficult to chase it down. They might just end up playing catch up with the target. As I said earlier, they are not a team which consistently hits the 200+ mark in the T20Is with the bat. Bangladesh will be in business if they open up India’s top-order and then try and hold them to a small and achievable target.
India will try and be ruthless in this game, is what I feel and for Bangladesh to pose a challenge, they will need to throw the first punch. Bangladesh must play fearless cricket and get on top of India right from the start. I don’t see Bangladesh can beat India if they are not fearless.
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