Ind. - BD thread

  Ind. favorites again in this 2nd SF clash at Edgbaston. Both teams have done well entering this contest. Ind. beat SF comprehensively and BD completed an epic win over NZ. They were down and dusted in Cardiff at 33/4, chasing 266. Phenomenal batting from Mahmud Ullah and Shakib saw them through fairly comfortably. To me this is probably their greatest win ever, surpassing the earlier one vs. Aus, at the same venue many moons ago. They are a much improved side and is evident from the ODI rankings. (6th). The fortunes of the BD team mirror those of Pak. in the '92 WC. They had a match they should have lost vs. Aus. rained off and needed help from Eng. to send Aus. packing.

  Ind. bowlers were impressive against SF. Bhuvi/Bumrah were smart and bowled impeccable lengths. Ind. should go in with 4 pacers for this game. BD batsmen are not equipped to play good fast and swing bowling. With not much swing on offer, pace is the way to go. The practice game between Ind. and BD showcased this inadequacy. Umesh Yadav is a must play. Tamim is in fine form and the fulcrum of their batting. He could be very destructive on his day. Mushfiqur and Mahmud Ullah are trusted lieutenants. Mahmud Ullah much like Dhawan (most runs CT 2017) does well in ICC tournaments. Another chink is the lack of a power hitter ala. Hardik who could change the fortunes of the game quickly.

  Given India's penchant for a chase, I do see whoever winning the toss wanting to bowl first. If India bat first, they could very well put BD out of the game. Dhawan was a treat to watch vs. SF and his Jayasuriya like short arm flick for a six was my pick for shot of the day. Any score over 330 will be very hard for BD to overcome esp. in a crunch game. BD bowling though decent does not have the arsenal to trouble the Indian batsmen. The fizz has gone out of the Mustafizur cutter and is definitely not the same bowler after the shoulder surgery. They have a young and promising off-spinning all-rounder in Mehedi Hasan who I believe will be the next captain. Not sure, if he gets to play since India are masters of spin play.

  Should Ind. play this game clinically like vs. SF, I see little chance for BD to pull off an upset. There is a big gap in talent across the teams in all facets of the game which could prove too much to overcome. The key factor working in favor of BD is that their confidence is sky-high and is currently a red hot team. Ind. with their experience should be able to weather and tame the rookie ICC tourney semi-finalists. Ind. also hold the psychological edge over their opponents.

  BD coach Chandika Haturusingha (former Sri Lankan opener) has instilled belief and done wonders for this team. He deserves a lot of praise. With Walsh roped in as a bowling coach the team is headed in the right direction.

  On a lighter note, green shirts will be beat (pachai satta potta adipom), 2 done (Pak. and SF), 1 more to go to setup an all blue final :) ** Added bonus to thrash Pak. again is all the motivation Indians need. See you Pak. sunday.

  The weather forecast also looks good and hopefully stays that way.

My X1:

1) Rohit 2) SD 3) Kohli 4) UV 5) MSD 6) Hardik 7) Ashwin 8) Jaddu  9) Bhuvi 10) Bumrah 11) Umesh Yadav

Jai Hind  





** late update