On paper, India might be a stronger team than its neighbors Bangladesh, but in the game which is known for its uncertainty, the tide could turn either way when India takes on the Bangla Tigers later in the day in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
Add to that, shocking results have been some sort of a norm in this year’s competition. Look at the first semi-final between Pakistan and Hosts England for instance. No one would have predicted Pakistan to go all the way with such ease against an opponent that looked solid throughout the tournament.
So, cricket purists will tell you not to take India’s victory in today’s match for granted because Bangladesh just might spring a surprise, India might not have an answer to. Even captain Virat Kohli said that India would not let loose against their opponents and go with all their guards on. Here is why it might get a little tricky for India to go past Bangladesh:
Tourney: Topsy-Turvy
If there could have been a way of summarizing any tournament, perhaps topsy-turvy would have been the most appropriate for this year’s Champions Trophy. Pakistan overwhelmed England and South Africa. Bangladesh themselves vanquished a strong New Zealand side. India suffered their part of misery after a defeat to neighbors Sri Lanka. Who can bet that the unexpected won’t happen again?
Slow Starts
Shikhar Dhawan recently became one the top scorers in ICC tournaments. His and Rohit Sharma’s opening partnership has looked solid and has produced runs. However, the opening pair is still a concern for India because the duo has failed to make full use of the Powerplay in the opening 10 overs. For number hungry people, India has put up only 46 (vs Pakistan), 48 (Sri Lanka) and 35 (South Africa) in the first 10 overs. If India wants to avoid any kind of a nail bitter here, they have to make sure that Sharma and Dhawan give them a solid and a quick start.
(Image Courtesy: Cricket County)
Dropped Catches
India has not looked a very sharp side on the field as well. They have dropped quite a few catches and some of them have been sitters. If the Men in Blue wish to retain their title, they need to put up an agile performance on the field and they cannot afford to miss catches like the one Kedhar Jadhav did against Pakistan.
(Image Courtesy: Ndtv.com)
Bowling Dilemma
India has extensively depended upon its batsmen to win matches for them. They have been lucky throughout the tournament that the batsmen have delivered. However, if we look at the match against Sri Lanka, India’s bowling attack was dismal and that happens to be the only match that India lost in the competition. R Ashwin’s induction has definitely given a new dimension to the bowling attack, however, India continues to sacrifice a genuine fifth bowler for more depth in batting. So, if the batsmen fail to deliver on the given day, will India be able to defend a small total?
(Image Courtesy: Firstpost)
History Lessons
We all remember the shocking loss of India against Bangladesh in 2007’s World Cup. That match then directed India’s momentum and they eventually crashed out of the competition in the group stages. Looking at the form that Bangladesh is in, you can expect them to come with all guns blazing at Virat Kohli’s men.
(Featured Image: ESPN CricInfo)
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