Nidahas Trophy 2018, Match 2, BAN vs IND - Match Predictions

The Men in Blue got a proper hiding against Sri Lanka in the opening encounter of Nidahas Trophy as they slumped to a five-wicket defeat loss against them. The inexperience of the bowlers was on show in the absence of key players. India will face Bangladesh in their next match of the tri-series at the same venue as both the teams would look to get off the mark in the tournament. However, it would not be easy for Rohit Sharma and his men to make a come back as Bangladesh is also a force to reckon with nowadays.

Key Bangladesh players are already in T20 mode having played in the ongoing third edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) and they will be itching to make their experience in the tournament count. As far as the form of the team is concerned, they are also going through a rough patch in the format having lost their last four T20 Internationals on the trot. The Tigers are struggling to find the correct combination and would be hoping to start the series on a high.

Probable nature of the pitch

The surface offered at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo was absolutely flat for the game between India and Sri Lanka. Expect a similar kind of track for this game too and with the short straight boundaries, another high-scoring encounter is on the cards. India will have the edge in that regards against their opponents having played the game before them.

The team winning the toss would want to chase as even the score around 175 wasn’t enough in the tournament opener and no one knows the safe score on the pitch.

Playing Combination

India

India handed a debut to Vijay Shankar in the first game who bowled decently but didn’t get a chance to bat. Going by the norm, they might not change the playing XI only after the first match and all the players are likely to get another chance. Rishabh Pant, however, needs to play well after scrambling to 23 off 23 after promoting ahead of Dinesh Karthik. It is imperative for the top order to perform given the inexperience and struggling middle-order.

The biggest worry for the team is their bowling which looked completely out of ideas against Sri Lanka. Only Washington Sundar was authoritative and assured about his line and lengths which was a positive for them. Even the others need to step up now and support each other in order to make a come back in the series.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal

Bangladesh

Bangladesh continue to be without their skipper Shakib Al Hasan as he has been ruled out of the tournament. Mahmudullah will be the leader of the pack as the seniors need to step up. Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar will continue to open the innings with Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to follow them. Sabbir Rahman will play as the finisher down the order as Ariful Haque should get the nod as an all-rounder. Mustafizur Rahman will lead the bowling attack with Taskin Ahmed set to make a comeback.

Probable XI: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah (c),  Sabbir Rahman, Ariful Haque, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed

Here’s what CricTracker predicts for the game:

Probable Top Performers

Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh) | Suresh Raina (India)

Head to Head

Total matches played – 5, India won –5, Bangladesh won – 0, No Result/ Tied – 0.

Timings of the match: 7:00 PM IST

Broadcast Details

TV – D Sport

Online Streaming: Yupp TV

The prediction is for India to win the first game and begin the series on a winning note.

You can watch the live streaming here