Asia Cup T20 Final Preview: India take on confident Bangladesh

Bangladesh and India will square off once more at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur. While this fixture will bring to an end what has been an eventful Asia Cup T20, MS Dhoni and his band of merry men will be looking for a clean sweep. That, however, is easier said than done after Bangladesh’s latest exploits especially against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Pitch Conditions

The pitch conditions for the final will pose a series of uncertainties. While the Indians faced UAE on dead rubber, the Sri Lanka v Pakistan match assisted the faster bowlers to an extent. A tinge of grass will be expected to remain in order to hold the wicket together. The uncertainty of the conditions and the wicket will open up all kinds of options for both sides. A hint of rain can also be expected at Mirpur a few hours prior to the match which means that dew may play a crucial factor. At the moment, it would seem that the Indians have the edge over the hosts.

Team News & Analysis

Bangladesh

The Bangladeshis came off an impressive win over Pakistan in their previous Asia Cup encounter. The bowling has been top class with young guns Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain stepping up to the plate in the absence of Mustafizur Rahman. Arafat Sunny’s wily left-arm spin has come in handy with the wicket prepared to assist the spinners to an extent. The batting has been strengthened by the return of Tamim Iqbal. Sabbir Rahman and Soumya Sarkar too will have an important role to play as they will look to fend off the Indian seamers.

All eyes will, however, be on Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza. The two experienced blokes will be hoping that lady luck will be smiling over them as they prepare for war. Shakib will be hoping to come good for his team in the most important match.

India

On paper, it seems as though India holds all the cards. However, MS Dhoni and the remaining members of the touring party in 2015 will be sure not to underestimate the Bangladesh tigers. Despite this, India seems to have struck a near-perfect balance. One of the main reasons is perhaps the inclusion of Hardik Pandya. His prowess with both bat and ball has ensured that MS Dhoni can pick an additional batsman or spinner. In contrast to the UAE match, the senior members of the side are expected to make a return and a feisty encounter is on the cards.

The limelight at the moment has shifted from Virat Kohli to Yuvraj Singh. The latter finally repaid the faith MS Dhoni and the selectors had invested in him as he rolled back the years with vintage performances against Sri Lanka and the UAE. He may be called upon to deliver a similar performance should the circumstances demand it.

Probable XI –

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Nurul Hasan (wk), Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Arafat Sunny, Mahmudullah, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed

India: MS Dhoni (C & wk), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah

Stat Attack

1. Rohit Sharma requires 13 runs to become the highest run-getter in the current edition of the Asia Cup T20. He will also aggregate 150 runs should he amass these runs.

2. Hardik Pandya is the highest wicket taker for India in the series with 7. He also boasts of the best bowling figures with 3/8.

3. Al-Amin Hossain is the highest wicket-taker in the current edition of the Asia Cup T20 with 10 wickets to his name in the main draw.

4. Mahmudullah is the most economical bowler in the Asia Cup T20 with an aggregate economy rate of 4.66.