Indian cricket team will come for a short visit to Bangladesh in early June for playing a test and three ODI matches. This will be the first bilateral contest these two teams will be appearing in after the controversial quarter final of ICC World Cup 2015. Bangladesh will have lot to prove in the upcoming series as Bangladesh cricket community has a feeling of deprivation for some disputed decisions in that Melbourne match .

A much different looking confident Bangladesh team is now appearing strong enough to compete with any cricket team at least in shorter versions of the game. The manner they white washed Pakistan in the recent bilateral series in ODI must have opened the eyes of the cricket world. In not too distant past another Bangladesh team beat a full strength Indian team in Asia Cup played at Dhaka. So there are no valid reasons why India should take the tour at all easy. But unfortunately several reports are recently appearing in Indian media and also carried in Bangladesh media about the composition of Indian squad.

It has been reported that some key players like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav are not willing to come. Another report says India may send Virendra Shewag, Yuvaraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh to Bangladesh and use the occasion as good bye series for them. BCCI will select the squad on May 20. We are sure BCCI is smart enough to send a strong team as they will not risk losing easy to strong Bangladesh team in any format. Indian batting legend SM Gavaskar in a recent interview also suggested for sending a strong Indian team to Bangladesh.

It is true that some leading Indian players may have developed cricket fatigue. They are in cricket since November December last year since now. But can India risk losing against Bangladesh in ODI series without players like Kohli, Dhoni and top others? Shewag, Yuvaraj, Zaheer Khan, Harbahajn are players of high caliber. No one will ever doubt about their class. But they are out of international cricket for a while. Bangladesh is no longer a team to be taken for granted. They are capable of surprising India even if they appear with full strength. All these gossips may the targeted for making Bangladesh guessing. BCB or Bangladesh cricketers must not take any notice.

Indians have known weakness against quality pace attack. Bangladesh in ODI now has a potent pace attack. Very consistent Mashrafee has great control over his length and line. Taskin and Rubel are quite pacey and move the balls with greater control. Bangladesh has discovered a teenager left arm Pacer Mustafiz. Bangladesh should prepare wickets which favors pace and swing for ODI matches. It will not affect Bangladesh batsmen much as they proved their batting potential against much higher caliber pacers on sporting wickets in Australia and New Zealand. Taskin created havoc in Indian batting line up when India visited last. Now Taskin has become a year more matured. Without any hesitation Bangladesh should pick three pacers and let them ball in seaming and swinging condition to stifle Indian batsmen. Will India risk sending an under strength team knowing fully well what they may have to encounter.

India is a much stronger side in test and Bangladesh has to plan its strategy intelligently for test. It can neither afford to have lively wicket nor absolutely flat track for the lone test. Since batting is the strength and bowling is not as good as batting in tests they should select a test side which has batsmen of proven capability of playing longer innings. Our top order batting is almost set. There is hardly any space in the top six. But if there are any thoughts of relieving Mushfiqur from wicket keeping duty the only option is Liton Kumar Das who is also an opener. He can get into the side in place of Soumya Sarkar. But where he will bat? He must not be wasted like Soumya Sarkar batting at 7 or 8. We would also suggest playing Zubayer in place of Shubhagato and appearing with three genuine pacers.

We are not sure Bangladesh can be considered yet as favorite in test. But in ODI series there is more than even chance that Bangladesh may surprise India is they can play to their new found potential. Tamim,Mushfique, Shakib are in great form, new bloods Soumya and Shabbir are fearless competitors and Mashrafee is a great battle commander. We can put our money on Bangladesh winning at least one if not more of the three ODIs. But at this time of the year rain interferes and matches may be decided on D/L method which often is a pure gamble. India unfortunately can find only this time to tour Bangladesh. If Bangladesh can really beat them then they will realize that Bangladesh needs to be handled with care in future cricket engagements.

Well Bangladesh has nothing to lose but lot to gain. An ODI series win will further consolidate the ranking and ensuring a place in the champions’ league which will be a great acumen, a new feather to tiger cap.

BDST: 0853 HRS, MAY 17, 2015
HB