India have won the series 2-0, Bangladesh have recognized their weaknesses and per a few players, have also relayed their concerns and requirements to the board. But cricket has to be played anyway. Even if the match holds as much importance as a spinner on a pitch after rain, it has to be staged in front of the crowd, more like a show without a script. This game, though, could serve a few better purposes than being entirely a dead rubber, one of which is for Bangladesh to bid adieu to one of their veterans and a part of Poncho Pandob, Mahmudullah, who announced his retirement earlier this week.
Indian young guns have shown that they are more ready than ever to take over the responsibilities from their experienced lot. After India’s three wickets fell within powerplay including the Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, the young men Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh rose to the occasion. Not only did they rescue the team, but they also steered the men in blue to post their highest-ever total in T20Is.
Bangladesh did try to make some amends with the ball later in the innings but it was too late to have any substantial effect. The real damage was done by their spin attack who collectively leaked 116 runs in eight overs at the bargain of only three tail-enders wickets. For Bangladesh batters, however, the scriptwriter was not as merciful. None of the visiting batters crossed even 20 except Mahmudullah, who scored 41 off 39 balls.
Team Overview:
India would want to test their bench strength by fielding Ravi Bishnoi, Tilak Verma, Jitesh Sharma, and Harshit Rana tonight, who warmed the bench throughout the series. The Indian top three have yet to show a performance as lethal as the middle order has. It’s quite interesting to note that Suryakumar Yadav handed the ball to as many as seven players, each of whom took at least one wicket. More interesting is the fact that many of these players who chipped in with both bat and ball in Delhi, are IPL products where the impact player rule has become synonymous with the end of all-rounders.
Bangladesh pacers, despite, no help from the other teammates, have managed to save the team from even disgraceful defeats. Taskin Ahmed has not shied away from publicly stating that the pitches back home are not good enough to help the bowlers learn how to play against teams like India. The main problem with Bangladesh was their batting lineup. In both games, the visitors could score a total of 262 runs in almost 40 overs.
Head-to-Head Matches:
India and Bangladesh have played 15 T20I matches against each other, with India winning all but one of these encounters. Bangladesh defeated India in Delhi in 2019.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has a flat deck, with even and true bounce but it offers something for the pacers and spinners too. With rain also forecasted to visit Hyderabad, pacers can hope to make merry.
Prediction:
Despite the fact that India might field players who have not played any cricket recently, they have a chance of beating this Bangladesh side. It would be challenging to fare against the Bangladesh pacers with rain forecasted, but that would still not rule India entirely out of contention.
Where to watch:
You can watch the 1st T20I game between Bangladesh and India by tuning into the following:
Bangladesh: Rabbithole (live streaming), T sports TV and app
India: Sports 18, JioCinema App (Live streaming)
Pakistan: Tapmad (Live streaming)
UK: Discovery+ App
