IND vs BAN: Team India are ready to face Bangladesh in their next Super 8 fixture. This match will be played on Saturday at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua.
India registered a one-sided win in their first game of the Super 8 against Afghanistan, while Bangladesh are coming off a defeat. India will be feeling confident about beating Bangladesh in this match.
But they can’t take Bangladesh lightly because they are capable of upsetting India in this fixture. There are a few things India need to do right to win this game.
But from Bangladesh’s perspective, they will be coming with an all-out attack in this match. In this article, we will talk about three major challenges that India will face in this IND vs BAN clash on Saturday.
IND vs BAN: 3 Major Hurdles for India while facing Bangladesh in Antigua
1. Change in conditions
Team India played their group matches in the USA, then faced Afghanistan in Barbados. It took them a while to adjust according to the conditions.
Similarly, not many Indian players have played in Antigua before, so it might take them a while to adjust according to the conditions.
On the other hand, Bangladesh played at this venue against Australia, and they are aware of the playing conditions here. So that might give Bangladesh a slight edge in the IND vs BAN clash.
2. Opening Woes
One positive for India so far is that their middle order has done well so far without much support from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But that can’t be the case in every game.
Team India want a good opening stand because it won’t happen every time that the middle order performs. But the biggest challenge will be Bangladesh’s new ball attack.
Mustafizur Rahman has good numbers against Rohit and Virat, and Tanzim Shakib is in red-hot form. So these two will be tough to face for the out-of-form opening pair of India.
3. Out of form Lower Middle Order
India need every player to be in form going into the knockouts. However, the current issue is not just with the opening pair but also with the lower middle order.
Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya are still to make their mark with the bat. That could be a worry.
If openers and Suryakumar Yadav get out, then there are big chances that the Indian team might get out cheaply because India are carrying some out-of-form batters in their playing XI during the IND vs BAN clash.
Also Read: 3 Reasons why India must stick with Virat Kohli as opener in Super 8 despite his recent failures