IND vs BAN One More Upset?: It has been a spectacular week with two major upsets recorded. Afghanistan set things in motion with a famous win over defending champions, England. They posted a competitive total of 285 on a two-paced surface. England known for their flamboyant style was expected to hunt down the target easily. But a bowling masterclass from Afghans curtailed England. It will go down as one of the greatest upsets of the World Cup. At that point, nobody thought another big upset would be in order.
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IND vs BAN One More Upset For This ICC World Cup 2023?
The African safari:
South Africa was flying high after two clinical wins. They broke multiple batting records in the game against Sri Lanka. Even though their bowlers went for runs, South Africa still managed to win the game with a big margin. Their rivalry against Australia is one for the ages. South Africa once again brought their A-game to the fore defeating the Aussies convincingly.
The Dutch trump the Proteas:
The match against the Netherlands was expected to be a cakewalk. At 82-5 and 140-7, it appeared to be that case. But Scott Edwards, the Dutch captain, put on a splendid show to take them to a solid total. Just two days after the mega upset, it was the turn of the Dutch to shock the daylights out of South Africa. They reduced the Proteas to 44-4.
The eventual margin might not appear a big one but the Dutch thoroughly outplayed South Africa. Neither Afghanistan nor the Netherlands was touted to trigger an upset. But they ended up doing just that. These wins might trigger other bottom-ranked teams to dream big.
The India-Bangladesh equation:
Since the turn of the millennium, India has suffered a World Cup ‘upset’ just once so far. They lost to Bangladesh in their 2007 World Cup opening game. India could never really recover from the loss and got eliminated at the group stage. The loss caused a major uproar eventually resulting in top management people resigning from their post. India though has defeated Bangladesh in all 3 of their subsequent World Cup meetings. But the side is surely wary of the threat that Bangladesh poses.
India’s iffy record against Bangladesh:
Almost a full-strength Indian side toured Bangladesh late last year. Bangladesh, who is one of the strongest sides in home conditions defeated India 2-1. It was Bangladesh against whom India lost their only game in the Asia Cup albeit fielding a second-string side. India has now lost 3 of the last 4 ODIs they have played against Bangladesh. The streak of upsets will give Bangladesh an added boost.
Will there be another upset?
India has fired on all cylinders so far in their 3 games. Their biggest challenge will be to fight against complacency when they turn up against Bangladesh. Shakib Al Hasan is a doubtful starter for this game. His absence will severely affect Bangladesh’s chances. But there is enough passion and skillset within their unit to stage an upset. Can India thwart their challenge and continue their dream run? We are in for a terrific game at Pune!
