1. Hit where it hurts the most
Out of the 22 matches India have squared up against Bangladesh in all competitions and in all grounds, Team India have beaten the Bangla tigers 20 times out of 22, but all those wins were put to shame in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean when the minnows beat tournament favourites India which inevitably led to the exit of the Men in Blue and brought with it a world of shame and embarrassment.
2. Home support
India, along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will be hosting the 2011 World Cup together, but with India’s first encounter at the Sher-e- Bangla stadium, Mirpur expect the home crowd to turn it up a notch and make it a noisy place for the visitors. The emerging Bangladeshi team has a passionate fan base, so each misfield by the Indians and a wicket by the Bangla tigers will be greeted with delirious cheers. Now that is bound to make any team jittery!
3. The Kiwi effect
Bangladesh had a run-in to the World Cup which was nothing short of a dream. They outwitted, outsmarted and outplayed an impressive Kiwi team and white washed them 4-0 in the ODI series. So as the Indians step on to the ground, they’ll know that they could be the next victims as Bangladesh has mastered the technique of giant-killing at home and away.
4. The dynamic duo
If India can boast the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Bangladesh too have the answer in the form of left arm Abdul Razzak and talismanic captain Shakib-al Hasan. The duo were the heroes in the 4-0 drubbing of New Zealand with Razzak bowling economically throughout the series and picking up five wickets, while skipper Shakib-al Hasan accounted for 11 wickets and also scored 208 runs. So if this were a football match MS Dhoni and Co would have clearly decided their men to mark.
5. Bowling deja-vu
When India were beaten by Bangladesh by five wickets in the 2007 World Cup, the Bangladesh bowling attack consisted of Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Abdur Razzak, Shakib-al-Hasan, Mohammed Rafique. When India again go face to face against Bangladesh, the probable bowling attack could be containing the likes of Shakib-al-Hasan, Abdul razaak, Shafiul Islam (like-to like replacement for the injured Mortaza), Shahriar Nafees and Mahmadullah. Same attack, different personnel.
6. Slow starting Indians
There have been nine World Cups from 1975 to 2007 and out of the nine opening matches India have played against various oppositions, the Indians have only managed three wins, a stat which clearly suggests that the Indians are not burning the tracks and take there own sweet time to hit the straps – something they should correct with the sword of firm favourites hanging right above their heads and with little room to stumble.
7. Change in format
One thing going India’s way ahead of this grudge match is the change of the grouping format of the teams from the last World Cup. India were left helpless after their defeat to Bangladesh as each group only consisted of three teams and losing one match meant the penultimate exit. With seven teams divided in two groups, each team would have a little more breathing space, but that factor too should not play on India’s minds.
8. The Aussie factor
The Bangladeshi conquest over the Indian challenge had another similarity, the presence of an Australian in the backroom. Ex-Sri Lanka world Cup winning coach Dav Whatmore master minded the two victories that Bangladesh achieved over India. Four years and countless ODI’s on, another Australian by the name of Jamie Siddons is at the helm of matters, could this be another factor the Indians should keep in mind?
9. Catches win Matches
Truer words have not been said with respect to the game of cricket and fielding. Including their self-destructive performances in their batting, there is another thing the Bangla team is known for which is their fielding. Since their inception in Cricket, the Bangladesh team has been a spirited and an energetic fielding unit, their sharp in-ring efforts and direct throws have always accounted for them chasing a target 20 to 30 runs short than expected. So the sub-continental disease of watching the ball kiss the boundary after a stroke needs to be taken care of as the ball might never reach the fence with hare-like running and relay throwing by the minnows.
10. Do it for Sachin, not get it done from him
Even before the craze of the World Cup had reached the tally, any one who was any one said that this World Cup triumph will be the a fitting tribute to the maestro Sachin Tendulkar before he walks into the sunset. All that emotion kept aside, the Indians need to take it one game at a time, concentrate and not slip into a situation where the Little Master is forced to pull the team out of strife, something he’s been doing for two decades now!