Bangladesh and India will be locking horns in the opening ODI of their three-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday at 12pm (Dhaka time).
India is set to return for a bilateral series after a seven-year absence, with Bangladesh having emerged victorious in the last encounter in 2015. This eagerly anticipated showdown is expected to be fiercely competitive, with both sides gearing up to unleash their best efforts.
The absence of Bangladesh's star opener Tamim Iqbal and pacer Taskin Ahmed due to injury will give an advantage to India, who also have to make do without the services of the well-rounded fast bowler Mohammad Shami. This weakens India's pace attack, but the presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the batting line-up gives them an edge.
Read: Liton says he’s ‘excited’ on the eve of leading Bangladesh in ODIs
A lot of expectations are pinned on Liton Das, the new Bangladesh skipper, who will be looking to make an impression in his first assignment as captain.
The right-hander had a stellar campaign last year, amassing 500 runs with an average of 62 in 10 matches, including a century and four half-centuries. He also has a century against India from the 2018 Asia Cup Final, making him the one to watch out for in the series opener.
The expectations on Bangladesh's left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman will be high as he recorded two five-fors in his debut ODI series against India in 2015 that helped the Tigers secure their first ODI series win over India. Despite struggling in recent times, Mustafizur will be expected to deliver an impressive performance when cricket is back home in familiar conditions.
For India, Rohit Sharma will be leading from the front. The right-handed batter has three centuries against Bangladesh, indicating his fine form against them.
Speaking ahead of the series opener, India captain Rohit Sharma said, “I think it’s going to be an exciting series as always has been. Whenever we have come to Bangladesh, they are a very challenging team and we have to play well to beat them. It is a very simple equation for us.”
Rohit also said that he believes the rivalry between India and Bangladesh has been exciting for the past few years. He noted that for the last seven to eight years, Bangladesh's cricket team has improved tremendously and it is not easy for India to win matches against them anymore and they have to play good cricket to be successful.
Read: Liton to lead Tigers in ODIs v India
Bangladesh captain Liton Das said, “We are excited about this series. We have played some tough cricket against them in recent times. They will not consider us an underdog which is a big inspiration for us.”
The match promises to be a thrilling affair. With both teams keen on making a statement, all eyes are set on the first ODI as the series gets underway.
The first match is a day-night affair and will be played under floodlights. This promises to bring out the best in both teams, making it an exciting contest.
Excitement is building for the upcoming bilateral series, with all tickets having been snapped up within a few hours of being released. Fans eager to catch the action in the next match can purchase tickets on December 6 at the counters of Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur.
The first match of the series is scheduled to take place on Sunday, while the third match will be played on December 7 at the same venue. To conclude the series, the final and last ODI is set to be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on December 10.