Saturday, March 17, 2007

A Preview: India vs Bangladesh

While logic, statistics and history suggest that India will streamroll Bangladesh, Cricket, the glorious game, is a game played beyond these factors.

It is a game played also in the minds - the minds of Indian players will be weighed down by a billion expectations and their bodies will be tested by 11 determined Bangla cricketers.

Bangladesh, being the underdogs, have nothing to lose. In India, on the other hand, hell will break loose if they lose against Bangladesh.

Banglas will be on a high confidence cloud after defeating New Zealand just 10 days ago. They have been the most improved side from the minnows. Habibul Bashar, Mohd Ashraful, Mohd Rafique and Mortaza are extremely capable and talented bunch of players - and well experienced by now. Their openers batted well against the Kiwis too.

They have beaten India before, and they can do it again!

India has apparently decided the playing 11 but Dravid refused to divulge the names.

Here is whom I would have played in my list of 11 tomorrow, if I were Dravid:
Robin Uthappa, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar.

But I am not Dravid and I think they might choose Sehwag over Uthappa and Bhajji over Kumble. I disapprove of both these moves strongly, if they take place.

Whatever it is, 1 billion and many more sets of eyes will be glued tomorrow to witness India and Bangladesh's first matches in this World Cup.

May the team that plays better cricket tomorrow, win!!!

3 comments:

Amrish said...

I havent been following a lot of cricket lately, but i think i would go for Harbhajan instead of M Patel... The rest look good... India will win this one... Bangladesh is a touch competitor, but we will bag this

Cuckoo said...

Hmmm.. I would have taken only one out of Munaf and Ajit Agarkar.

No, Dravid will not drop Kumble on his own unless he has pressure from others. He has great faith in him.

Sehwag should be out. I don't understand why he was taken to this trip. Uthappa is good enough and we have many more openers if the need arises like Sachin, Sourav, Dravid and even Irfan Pathan has done that.

May the team that plays better cricket tomorrow, win!!!
Oh no, don't say that ! India should win and that too with ease. (Though Bangladesh is not going to allow them this).

Ranjeet said...

They picked extra batsman instead of Pathan, but still there is absolutely no backbone as they bend in front of Bangla bowlers!!!