Dhoni Uncertain as India Start Asia Cup Versus Bangladesh

India take on Bangladesh in the first game of the Asia Cup on Wednesday at Mirpur.

MS Dhoni (L), Virat Kohli (C) and Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Courtesy: Virat Kohli Facebook)

• India take on Bangladesh in Asia Cup opener on Wednesday at Mirpur.
  
• MS Dhoni injured his back during the team’s training session on Monday, prompting the BCCI to rush Parthiv Patel as his back-up.
  
• The Indian team will be keen to get even against a strong Bangladesh side that beat them in a three-match ODI series last year.
  

India enter the final phase of their preparations for next month’s T20 World Cup with the Asia Cup starting on Wednesday but a cloud of uncertainty over skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s fitness threatens to disturb the side’s momentum going into the tournament-opener against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Dhoni injured his back during the team’s training session on Monday, prompting the BCCI to rush Parthiv Patel as his back-up.

The skipper’s fitness is a concern going into Wednesday’s match against the sprightly hosts, who have built a reputation of being giant-slayers on more than one occasion.

The continental championship will be played in a Twenty20 format from the usual ODI, keeping the World T20 in mind and the need for the Asian teams to get some much-needed match time before the marquee event starts next month.

For India, who are considered as title contenders, a good Asia Cup performance will give them the much-needed boost going into the World T20.

India’s Revenge

The Indian team will be keen to get even against a strong Bangladesh side that beat them fair and square in a three-ODI series at the same venue last year. (Photo: AP)

While Dhoni has always stated that “revenge is a very strong word in sport” but the Indian team will be keen to get even against a strong Bangladesh side that beat them fair and square in a three-ODI series at the same venue last year under hostile circumstances with a partisan crowd backing its team.

The ODI series last year saw the emergence of left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahaman, who bamboozled the Indian batsmen with his variations. This tournament will also give ‘Men in Blue’ an opportunity to crack the ‘Mustafizur Code’, having failed miserably the last time round.

The Indians have started their T20 preparations in right earnest having won back-to-back series against Australia ‘Down Under’ and Sri Lanka at home.

In the six T20 internationals played this year, India have won five of them with the only defeat coming against Sri Lanka on an unusual Pune pitch in the last series.

The team under Dhoni has looked set in the shortest format but the real test starts with the Asia Cup as the business end of the preparations commences.

Momentum will be key from now onwards and Dhoni’s men will be keen to seize the initial advantage even though it won’t be easy by any means against a Bangladesh side, which will be more than a handful on home soil.

The Indian captain has indicated that he will like to give match time to all the 15 players in the squad although it is the winning combination that is expected to play against Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Ashwin’s Form

R Ashwin. (Photo: AP)

After an indifferent performance in a high scoring ODI series in Australia, Ashwin found his mojo back at the start of the T20 series with 13 wickets from last six T20 games.

In the series against Sri Lanka, he was virtually unplayable, grabbing nine wickets in three games with career- best figures of 4/8 in the decider in Visakhapatnam.

Nehra and Bumrah make a good pace attack with one having loads of experience and ability to read match situations effortlessly, and the other with an unusual action able to rattle the batsmen bowling yorkers at will.

Bangladesh’s Decent Bowling Attack

The ODI series last year saw the emergence of left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahaman, who bamboozled the Indian batsmen with his variations. (Photo Courtesy: Pepsi IPL 9)

Bangladesh’s strength is their bowling attack with Mustafizur, Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain expected to pose a lot of challenge for the Indian batsmen.

With a handsome IPL contract, Mustafizur may again intimidate the Indian batsmen with Taskin and Al-Amin for support.

Not to forget the enormous experience of skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. The duo on their day along with former captain Mushfiqur Rahim could tilt the scales in home team’s favour.

Left-handed batsman Soumya Sarkar, World Cup hero Mahmudullah make it a decent batting line-up for Bangladesh.