World Cup 2019: With semi-final spot at stake, India face stern Bangladesh test after England defeat

In sport, sometimes it helps when you get back in action very soon after an unexpected defeat. It’s a theory many managers, players and coaches ascribe to across the world and it is exactly what India get to do at the ongoing cricket World Cup.

With just a day’s gap after their defeat against hosts England, Virat Kohli and Co aim for a quick turnaround at the same venue (Edgbaston) in their penultimate league-stage game against a battle-hardened Bangladesh — a side that is trying to stay alive in race for the last-four berth.

While a team that has lost just one match in the six they have played (one washed out) cannot possibly be under crisis, there are suddenly quite a few problems cropping up around the Indian team. Having already lost Shikhar Dhawan due to injury, India lost another of their original squad members to a fracture: Vijay Shankar. With a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah proving to be tournament-ending for the Tamil Nadu all-rounder, opening batsman Mayank Agarwal has been named his replacement.

As for the immediate future, a few changes could be in the offing for India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja are in contention for the first XI berths keeping the odd dimensions of the Edgbaston ground in mind, while Rishabh Pant would be expecting to continue in the middle order.

India are currently on 11 points from seven games and a win on Tuesday will ensure a smooth passage to the semi-finals unlike Bangladesh, who must win their last couple of league games in order to make their first entry into the last four stage.

MS Dhoni’s controversial batting displays as a finisher in a wobbly middle-order has already made the Indian team look vulnerable more than ever and insult to injury was the first lacklustre bowling day in the tournament, that eventually led to the team’s first defeat.

India scored only 39 runs in the last five overs against England, with Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav at the crease. More than their inability to hit big shots, which was certainly the primary factor, the lack of intent was an eyesore.

However, the team management has rallied around their senior-most player and that leaves Jadhav in a vulnerable position, making Ravindra Jadeja’s case for inclusion stronger by the day. Especially considering Jadhav has not been used as a bowling option by Kohli in any seriousness.

The primary logic could possibly be Jadeja being better, if not just as good, at big-hitting compared to Jadhav, when batting at No 6 or 7. His wicket-to-wicket left-arm spin is a restrictive option and to top it all, his outstanding ability to field at any position.

The other factor that could play a massive role in this decision is the dimension of the Edgbaston ground, where the boundary on one of the sides is less than 60 metres. The England troika of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes exploited the shorter boundary against wrist spinners Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, hitting the reverse sweep effectively.

Similarly, when England bowled, all their pacers were seen bowling to a field set on the side of the longer boundary, which helped them cut the number of sixes to a mere one.

After being outplayed tactically, the team management are eager to set things right and have understood that two wrist spinners could be a risk against the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das and Mahmudullah.

With Bhuvneshwar Kumar being fit and available for selection, for the first time in the tournament India could go in with three frontline pacers and in that case, either Chahal (after recording worst ever World Cup figures - 0/88 in 10 overs - by an Indian bowler) or Kuldeep Yadav will make way.

If Bhuvneshwar is included in the playing XI against Bangladesh, it will definitely bolster the lower-order batting.

For India, the important thing will be that Bangladesh’s bowling won’t have the same potency as England and they will heavily depend on Shakib’s all-round exploits (476 runs and 10 wickets) that has got them so far in the tournament.

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Having received a rude shake-up from England, India will have very little time for recovery as they seek immediate course correction against a team, which boasts of the world’s No.1 all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in its ranks: he has lived up to his billing quite spectacularly by becoming the first man in World Cup history to take 10 wickets and score 400-plus runs in the tournament.

Bowling will be Bangladesh’s weak-link and Kohli will certainly want to bat first and put the game beyond the strong batting lineup that the Tigers possess.

One of Bangladesh’s concerns is the form of their skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, who has taken only one wicket in six games so far. The right-arm medium-pacer has lost the zip and is arguably in the team because of nous as a captain.

Mashrafe’s side have seven points after three wins and a washout, three points behind fourth-placed England.

To retain any chance of qualifying from the 10-team group phase they need to win both of their final fixtures, against India and Pakistan, and hope results elsewhere go in their favour.

“India are very strong in this World Cup and it is not going to be easy but we have to play hard and be at 100 percent in every area,” he said.

“Are we going to still be in it? Maybe, maybe not. Let’s see but we have to play better than what we have done so far.”

Whatever be the case, a rivalry that has produced some spicy contests ever since the last World Cup, is set for another enthralling edition.

Squads

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant.

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmuduallah Riyadh, Sabbir Rahaman, Mehidy Hasan Miraj, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammed Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahaman, Rubel Hossain, Liton Kumar Das, Abu Jayed, Mohammed Mithun.

Match Starts 3 pm (IST).

[Inputs from PTI]