India vs Bangladesh: When the Asian Tigers Face-off in CWC 2019

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The two Asian tigers are going to face-off tomorrow in the 40th game of the ongoing tournament. This will be the same ground where the Indians lost to England. India vs Bangladesh will be an exhilarating encounter as there is so much at stake. Fans would be happy as the weather forecast promises a full game without any interruption. The Birmingham pitch is likely to favor the batsmen and we hope to see some fireworks from Kohli, Hardik, and Hasan.

Both teams would like to win, to move closer to seal their semi-final spot. Though Indians are much closer to reaching the semis, the Bangla tigers have shown immense zeal and talent in the tournament. They have proven that they didn’t come to the World Cup by fluke, but for their talent.

Indian Tigers Meets Bengal Tigers

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Image Source: Essentially Sports

India’s winning spree was halted by the hosts as they lost chasing a high total by 31 runs. In a way, this would do good to the two times champions as they will improve on their shortcomings. This is a wake-up call and an opportunity to gain momentum. This is much needed before they face their neighbor, Sri Lanka. It is a reminder that they have to display team spirit and each player has to contribute. The Men in Blue are roaring high, having a talented squad in all three spheres of the game.

Jaspreet continues to scare his opponents with his Yorkers, making it difficult for the opposing teams to get a quick start. Though he’s not gotten as many wickets as he deserved but his bowling record is proof that teams could have scored much more without his short balls.

Mohammad Shami gives him full support by taking wickets at regular intervals. His continuous three streaks of the four-wicket haul have justified his selection. It has also helped to ease the tension of Bhuvneshwar’s injury. But on the bowling front, the supporting trio of Kuldeep, Yzuvendra, and Hardik need to put more effort to stop Bengalis on a small total.

Rishabh’s batting display in the debut match seems to be promising and he should try to grab this opportunity. He might get a chance to open with Rohit as Rahul has not shown great results at the opening spot.

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Kohli’s men might look at him and Rohit to make a strong base. MS needs to strike with the bat in his signature style. This is much needed to solve the problem of the middle batting front and to put a tall score on the board.

The Bengal Tiger Forces

Though the road ahead is not easy for the Bengal Tigers, they have displayed a feisty performance. They need to beat both their neighbors to have a shot at making it to the knockouts. They have not only shocked South Africa in their opening match but have beaten the West Indies as well. They gave a tough fight to Australians, scoring 333 while chasing 382. Their star player, Shakib, is the world’s best all-rounder. With two tons and three half-centuries to his credit in his six innings, he is proof that he is not afraid of any pace brigade.

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Image Source: Dhaka Tribune

Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim along with Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar have been in good form. They have provided a strong foundation to score big. They need to rise at this juncture in their bowling. A look at their scoreboard shows that they have conceded 320 or more runs in most of the matches. The bowlers need to strike better to ease the burden from the shoulders of batsmen.

Conclusion

Bangladesh has had a praiseworthy journey, so far in this World cup. If they want to upstage India, they have to show the best all-round performance. The misfiring bowling squad needs to find its target and hit the bull’s eye.

Rohit, Kohli, Dhoni, and Rishabh have to perfect their shots to reduce the pressure from the bowling brigade. We hope the match takes the Indian performance back to its glorious one.