World Cup 2019 – Match 40: BAN vs IND – India Predicted Playing XI

The loss against England was a massive reality check for Team India. They’d consider themselves fortunate that it didn’t come at a stage when their chances of advancing forward in the tournament were under threat. Even though the team is yet to qualify for the knockouts, they are placed in a really good position on the points table and there isn’t a great deal of pressure that way.

However, their performance against the Brits was quite concerning and there is some reassessment to be done. The team will be back in action just after a day’s break and will face Bangladesh in Birmingham. The knockout chances are on the line for the Asian counterparts and one would expect them to bounce back hard. With still a few concerns around the batting order, Team India will look to maintain the stability before the semi-finals.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for India:

Openers (Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul)

Rohit Sharma registered a hard-fought ton against England in the last game. He struggled initially and it wasn’t a cakewalk for him by any means. For the first time, the Indian vice-captain got to his hundred without hitting a six. However, his efforts weren’t sufficient to take the team over the line. Though, with the kind of form that he is in, Sharma will hope to bring up another big score.

KL Rahul hurt his back while fielding in the last match. However, he came out to bat which is a positive sign. Rahul didn’t look comfortable against England but has generally been in good form. He should convert those starts into big totals and gain some confidence before the knockout games.

Middle Order (Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk))

The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli has got five consecutive half-centuries thus far in the tournament. He has been great with his captain as well and continues to be one of the biggest strengths for the team. The No 4 position seems to be a slight concern for the team. They’ve tried out four players thus far in the tournament and none of them impressed so far.

The management should consider sending MS Dhoni at this position given that he plays as he did in the last match. Then, it would be a perfect scenario with Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya being the finishers. Dhoni hasn’t found it easy to hit every ball out of the park and thus they should look to use him in a better possible way. But the concern for them is that they can’t always trust Pant and Pandya to do well towards the end. However, this is a gamble they can try out in the next match.

All Rounders (Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav)

Hardik Pandya is doing a fair job with the bat down the order and is scoring some valuable runs for the team. He has been good through the middle overs as well and has added a good amount of balance to the side. However, the biggest question for the team is if they can back him to bowl 10 overs in an innings. If he’s able to do that, he will provide a great deal of flexibility with the playing eleven.

The way Kedar Jadhav batted in the previous encounter was quite concerning. He came into bat when the required run rate was sky-high. While not many expected India to win, he should have at least narrowed down the margin of loss. However, the 34-year-old decided to just nudge the ball around and take a few singles. The management, however, will give him another chance given that he serves up as the sixth bowling option.

Bowlers (Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah)

Mohammed Shami played just three games in the tournament but is already amongst the leading wicket-takers. He followed his previous two four-wicket hauls with a five-wicket haul against England. The 28-year-old has been an unstoppable force and will definitely hold onto his place in the team even if Bhuvneshwar Kumar is fit. Jasprit Bumrah will share the pace duties with him.

The No 1 ODI bowler has been unbelievably consistent at any stage of the innings. The oppositions are finding it extremely difficult to score runs off his bowling. He continues to be a massive asset for the team and will look forward to choking the opposition with his tight bowling once again. India is highly likely to stick around with the combination of having two spinners in the team and thus both Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will take the field in all likelihood.