Mirpur: Aiming to clinch a semi-final berth, a confident India would be keen on another strong show when they meet an out-of-sorts Bangladesh in their third group league match of the ICC World Twenty20 here on Friday.
On paper, it will be a David versus Goliath contest as Bangladesh are no match for an Indian team, who are considered serious contenders for the title. But the fickleness of the shortest format means that a fight from the Tigers cannot be ruled out against some of the biggest names in world cricket. The Indian team’s confidence has shot up after their wins against quality opposition like Pakistan and defending champions West Indies. But it will be interesting to see how the players manage to keep the chins up amid the controversy surrounding the board and its president.
Friday will give the Men In Blue a chance to seal a ticket for the semi-final before they meet Australia in their last group league encounter on Sunday.
The likes of Virat Kohli, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja will be eager to come out with a commanding performance against a team,who are down in the pits.
If losing to Hong Kong wasn’t enough, the demoralising defeat against the West Indies where Bangladesh were bowled out for less than 100, was even more disappointing for the thousands of home fans.
For the visitors, there aren’t too many worries barring Yuvraj Singh’s indifferent form. However Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina have more than made up for the poor show by the Punjab veteran.
Best chance for semis: Rohit
Rohit Sharma said that this was India’s best chance to enter the semi-finals of the World T20 since their triumph in the inaugural edition in 2007. “Absolutely, this is our best chance to qualify for the semi-finals and we are not looking too far ahead. Tomorrow’s game would be crucial and we can take things from there on.
“We will see what we can do after we are through with tomorrow’s match. We can plan accordingly then.”
‘Group of death’ enters critical phase
Windies and Australia face off in a do-or-die clash in Dhaka as action resumes in Group Two after a two-day break.
George Bailey’s Australians, seeking a maiden World T20 title after winning the 50-over World Cups four times, were beaten by Pakistan in their only match so far in the tournament.
The West Indies, who lost to India, bounced back to thrash Bangladesh by 73 runs on Tuesday, which gave the champions the best net run-rate in the group of 1.75. Australia have three matches in hand and the West Indies two, but neither side can afford to lose the opening game of Friday’s double-header at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium
