So here we are again, in Dhaka, the same place where the superstars of the Indian team led by captain MS Dhoni were subjected to one of the most humiliating defeats in the history of Indian cricket – a series loss to Bangladesh, still considered by many Indian fans as one of the minnows of world cricket. That’s why the loss, when it happened, was deeply hurtful for Indian supporters.
But that was 2015. It’s 2016 now, and the Indian team looks fresher and more confident than ever, especially in T20 cricket. Not only have they whitewashed the mighty Aussies 3-0 in Australia, but won a closely contested series against Sri Lanka as well.
But there are still many questions asked about this Indian side. Has Dhoni reached the end of his international career after a decade at the top? What a glorious career Dhoni has had in international cricket. He is easily the most successful Indian cricket after the great Sachin Tendulkar.
But nobody uses the same superlatives to describe Dhoni as with Tendulkar – Dhoni is not the most talented cricketer in India, but he is certainly the hardest working one, the one with the greatest zeal and determination to succeed at all cost. He has certainly come a long way since making his debut for India as a wild haired unknown youngster from the backward state of Jharkhand.
Back then Dhoni used to enjoy cricket and loved every moment of the game. Now, we have a much older and tired looking Dhoni, who gets easily irritated by the press and appears cynical about everything related to Indian cricket.
But it’s not just about Dhoni – the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, the old warriors of Indian cricket, who have been through many a battle in the past, winning some and losing, are back in the side as well, hoping to make an impress, lest their place be taken by someone younger, fresher, fitter or more talented.
There is so much to look forward to in this Asia Cup. India face big competition in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There is nothing to suggest that they have any great advantage over them, except for the IPL experience which is held by every Indian cricketer, even youngsters like Jaspreet Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Talent wise, there really is little to separate the four big teams in this competition.
We expect Bangladesh to be a formidable force under home conditions and but Indian will certainly start as favorites. India have three batsmen in form at the top in Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and young Virat Kohli, who have been plundering runs mercilessly against all attacks.
They have a reliable Ashish Nehra leading the attack (why hasn’t he played more for India) and there is Ravi Ashwin in the form of his life. As for tonight’s match, there is a possibility that Dhoni may opt out because of a slight back injury, in which case Parthiv Patel should get his chance to play for India.
Team news
India: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk)/ Parthiv Patel, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ashish Nehra
Bangladesh: 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Mohammad Mithun, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Al-Amin Hossain
Match Conditions
Mirpur has one of the flattest tracks in the world, so we expect a plenty of runs for both sides. We are at the start of the summer season in the subcontinent, so expect a lot of heat and no rain.
Watch India take on Bangladesh in the opening T20 match of the Asia Cup tonight at 7:00 PM live on Star Sports.
