Plenty has been happening at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium lately, but a one-day game between two full-member nations hasn’t been part of that plenty since 2018. That changes now. The match between Bangladesh and India will be the first such game in nearly seven years. It’s a clash that wasn’t originally supposed to be here. But after a rollercoaster of discussions, drama, and urgency, here we are. And if you thought the drama ended with scheduling games at an alternative venue, you may need to think again. We’re only on the second game of the Champions Trophy, yet the tension is already thick enough to cut with a knife.
And that brings us to sharing some inside news, call it a conspiracy theory if you may but many teams in the tournament are secretly envious of India. They are, after all, the only side that knows exactly where they’ll play all their matches, including the knockouts. And that’s not all, all their fixtures (again including the knockouts) will be at a single venue: Dubai. But in all fairness, it’s not the conditions India need to familiarize themselves with. It’s their own squad.
This Indian team is the most un-Indian squad that has been sent to an ICC event. Historically, they’ve preferred a pace-heavy attack, but this time, they don’t have that luxury. With a couple of frontline spinners and three all-rounders who can tweak the ball fairly well, India have more spin options than ever. Their fast-bowling unit, on the other hand, looks lighter, with only four seamers, one of whom, Hardik Pandya, is essentially an all-rounder.
Team Overview:
But India have a blueprint sorted already. They are likely to opt for three spinners and as many pacers, which provides Rohit Sharma with no less than six bowling options. Having all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Pandya, allows them to get the best of both worlds without going lighter on either of the lineups. That makes Pandya indispensable in the team, leaving Rohit to decide on the remaining two pacer spots. It’s a hard choice, especially between Harshit Rana, India’s new-found brilliance, and Arshdeep Singh. But India might look to get more experience on board in Dubai’s relatively unknown conditions.
India’s recent series against England has fixed most of the chinks they had in their batting armour. But whether the batters will be able to replicate their home triumphs in Dubai, remains to be seen.
Bangladesh are transitioning, but instead of swapping out their old guns for more polished, same-model substitutes, they’ve taken a different road altogether. This time, they’ve put their trust in their fast-bowling resources. They get experience from Mustafizur Rahman, timeless skills from Taskin Ahmed, and fiery youthfulness from Nahid Rana. And make no mistake, this trio isn’t just a desperate fallback for a hopeless Bangladesh. They know they have other cards to play, but none more reliable than these three.
Najmul Hossain Shanto hasn’t played an international game since November last year. His presence will be very important for the batting line, which can draw inspiration from the sort of character he has developed recently. Meanwhile, for the first time since Shakib Al Hasan’s debut, Bangladesh enter an ICC ODI event without him. But in Mehidy Hasan Miraz, they may have found someone walking the right path.
Head-to-Head Record:
India have always held sway against Bangladesh in ODIs. Out of 41 matches that both sides have featured in, India were the better side in 32. Bangladesh have only won 8 ODI games against India to date, while one game ended without any result.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Dubai hosted plenty of the ILT20 games this year, including the final on February 9. Although the curator said the pitches will have adequate time to recover before the game against India, some effects are bound to linger. This could make the Dubai pitch to act tad slow, but that would be a blessing in disguise for Indian spinners.
Both teams and the fans would be relieved to hear that dew factor would not play a huge role, so a balanced contest is on cards for both sides.
Dubai is generally a fairly scoring ground which offers a decent advantage to bowlers as well.
Prediction:
Unless something goes horrible wrong with India’s game plan, they have a pretty strong chance to start the tournament with a victory.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, PTV Sport, Ten Sports, Myco App
India: Star Sports Network, Network 18, JioCinema App
UK: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action, Sky Sport App
Australia: PrimeVideo
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ, Sky Sports Now, Sky Go
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport Network
Bangladesh: Nagorik TV, T Sports, Toffee app
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV, Sirasa TV
USA: Willow TV
Caribbean: ESPN Caribbean App
MENA: StarzPlay, CricLife Max, CricLife Max 2
