Indian cricket team needs to win big against Bangladesh to boost net run rate
The victory against Pakistan has been wildly celebrated. To be fair though, it was only the first step towards resurrecting India’s World T20 campaign that had threatened to go awry following the 79 all out in the tournament opener against New Zealand. Every game has now become a must-win affair for the hosts, and although they are expected to beat Bangladesh comfortably, they have to take care of the net run-rate as well. This, along with Suresh Raina’s batting form, is the pressing issue that the home team faces.
India
Raina or Rahane: Raina has scored 90 runs in his last seven T20 international innings. He looked very uncomfortable on seaming pitches in the Asia Cup. Against Pakistan in the last game, he was out first ball, failing to cope with the extra bounce on a damp Eden Gardens surface. Stability has been a reason for India’s recent T20 winning streak, but Rahane’s presence in the dug-out allows room for a rethink. Not that Rahane shone bright – 51 runs in the four T20 internationals – in the matches he played in the home series against Sri Lanka and Asia Cup. But he is quality and perhaps a better option in difficult conditions. For two matches on the bounce, India’s batting looked wobbly. Raina, however, comes as a package, thanks to his part-time off-spin, and there’s every possibility that MS Dhoni would give him another opportunity to return to form against one of the weakest bowling attacks in the tournament.
Net run-rate: This could be very important in the final count and India have had a fair amount of catch-up to do with their net run-rate hovering around -0.90 after two matches. New Zealand have reached the last four from Group 2. India must use tomorrow’s game to shore up their net run-rate. A good start is imperative.
Bangladesh
Batting order: They continue to suffer for a wrong batting order. Mahmudullah was their hero with back-to-back hundreds in the 50-over World Cup last year. A 13-ball 33 not out in the Asia Cup final reasserted his ability to cleanly strike the ball. In the last match against Australia he made 49 not out off 29 balls, batting at No. 6. The decision to send him so deep was baffling, especially when Tamil Iqbal was absent. It exposed the team’s tactical naivety.
Fielding: Looked like, Bangladesh had allowed Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny’s ouster affect their morale as they played against Australia. They lacked intensity. Their fielding was appalling, helping Australia get out of trouble. If the dropped catch upfront to allow Shane Watson a reprieve bordered on the comical, a series of misfields and another missed opportunity at the back end of the innings had been detrimental. Bangladesh must pull up their socks if they want to upset India.
