Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones believes Bangladesh will pose a bigger challenge than South Africa recently did when they take on India in the T20 International series, starting on Sunday in Delhi.
India head into the T20I series on the back of a 1-1 draw in their previous assignment in the shortest format against the Proteas. Bangladesh, on the other hand, reached the final of the tri-nation series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe before it was abandoned due to rain.
Over the past year, India have won nine of the 16 T20Is they have competed in. In the same period, Bangladesh played seven matches in the shortest format and won four of them.
The Tigers are entering the upcoming series after suffering a major setback with star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan getting banned for a year. Jones, however, believes this will act as a major source of motivation for the visitors.
“I’m expecting a huge battle,” Jones told Scroll.in. “Things have gone against Bangladesh in the recent past and the team will be thinking it’s about time to throw some punches back.
“I rate Mahmudullah highly as a player and as well as a captain. He seems to command a lot of respect in that group. If the Bangladeshi players get their heads in, understand what their roles are, and prepare a proper game plan, I think anything will be possible in this T20I series.”
Jones also feels the Bangladeshi fans will rally around the team after the events of the recent past. “If they do well in the first game, I’m expecting their fans to turn up in big numbers in the next one. I really do expect Bangladesh to bounce back after what’s gone on lately,” he said.
Jones, who will feature as a Select Dugout expert on Star Sports during India’s series against Bangladesh, also feels it’s important for Virat Kohli and Co to take every decision in the shortest format with an eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
“We’re just 12 months away from the World Cup, it’s important for each player to understand their role quickly. Some players don’t understand how to do that,” he said.
“It’s important to have consistency in selection. For example, if the team management thinks Rishabh Pant is the right man to bat at No 4, he should be allowed to go out and play without pressure. He should know that he isn’t going to be dropped for a few series at least.
“The Indian team must also look into all the ‘what if’ scenarios. Who’s going to bowl the death overs with Jasprit Bumrah at the World Cup? Is it going to be Deepak Chahar? Is it going to be Khaleel Ahmed? These are the questions that need to be answered now, not two-three weeks before the World Cup. If you keep chopping and changing players, you’re going to have inconsistency on the field forever.”
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