Bangladesh and India will face each other today (Sunday) in their 1st One Day International (ODI) match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The match begins at 1.00 pm BST (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Before today’s match, Bangladesh and India meet each other in 25 ODI matches. Of them, India registered 22 victories while Bangladesh won three matches.
Dashing opener Tamim Iqbal said, ” India are good side. The best performers of IPL came here to play against Bangladesh. But without MS Dhani, Gautam Gambhir, India team will be in pressure. India have some gaps, which they have to overcome. I hope Bangladesh will come out from their mistakes and will show positive approach.”
Suresh Raina Said, “I hope the three-match ODI will be entertaining. The two teams comprise with youngsters. We have some players, who performed well in the ongoing IPL. We are looking towards in front of us. I don’t feel any pressure. Everybody will try to perform well. I shall try to lead my team properly.”
“I didn’t expect them to take this series so lightly,” skipper Mushfiqur Rahim had said after taking a look at India’s second-string squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. Just how lightly? Sample this. The bowlers in this India squad have played a combined 87 ODIs. Abdur Razzak has played 150. Mashrafe Mortaza, in spite of all his injuries, has played 133. In fact, no player in this squad barring the captain Suresh Raina has played even 40 ODIs.
“After seeing their team, I realised that there will more expectations on us,” Mushfiqur added. Which is what makes this series stand out from a usual India-Bangladesh contest. Without any disrespect to them, Bangladesh are never expected to beat India. When they have done so on the odd occasion in the past, like in the 2007 World Cup and the 2012 Asia Cup, defeat has come as a shock for the Indians.
Both the teams are found very series in the practice session at Mirpur ahead of the first match. The India team had their practice in the morning while Bangladesh in the afternoon.
Squads:
Bangladesh (possible): Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (Captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Abdur Razzak, Sohag Gazi, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Al-Amin Hossain.
India (possible): Robin Uthappa, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina (Captain), Ambati Rayudu/Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha , Parvez Rasool /Akshar Patel, Amit Mishra, Vinay Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
