It will not be Washington Sundar who will start off things - ok I get to know that he always bowls the second over, so my bad. Jaydev Unadkat will be taking the new cherry. From round the wicket to the left-handed Tamim. Different thinking straight away from the Indians. A slip in place. Here we go...The anthems are done and we are all ready to go for what should be a cracker of a game. Hopefully it turns out to be a close contest and not the nervy one-sided letdown we often see in big finals. All the pressure is on India and as Dinesh Karthik so beautifully summed it up here: "Let's be fair to India as a cricketing nation - whether we play the second string or the first string team that's always the case. When we play Bangladesh, if we win it's like 'Ok, you've won against Bangladesh', but if we lose it's like: 'Dude, you've lost to Bangladesh. What are you doing?' I'm sure that's going to be there." But India are used to pressure.All set for the national anthems. Healthy crowd in even though there are lots of empty spaces I can see as I type this. A couple of Sri Lankan flags in the audience as well - my gut feeling says that they will be behind India after all the madness that happened in their last game against Bangladesh. As if India needed more support! Bangladesh have to battle a lot of variables tonight if they have to register a massive upset and take the trophy home. They have the team to do it? But do they have the nerve? Against India? Remember Bangalore and the Chinnaswamy Stadium! Rahim and Mahmudullah will still be waking up with cold sweat whenever someone mentions that game.Certainly a lot more people than what we've seen in the last two India-Bangladesh games. "Of course the tickets must have been bought in advance, anticipating Sri Lanka in the final," Shirshendu quips.Teams:Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul IslamIndia (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik(w), Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra ChahalShakib al Hasan: I was a bit confused before the toss. It is not a bad thing to bat first. Put the runs on the board in the final game. Looks to me a very good wicket. In the last two weeks, Premadasa has produced some very good batting wickets. Hopefully, it will remain the same and we can put a good total on the board and defend it. Everthing under control and everyone is focussing on this game. It is a very important game for us. I thought we have played really well in all the 4 games and given ourselves the best chance to win all of them. We need to do little bit extra to win it against India, they are a very good side. We are playing with the same team.Rohit Sharma: We are gonna field first. It looks a good track. Looks a bit drier. We have seen in the tournament, that the wicket keeps getting better and better as the game progresses. Better to have the target in front and see what we can do with the ball. Later we can come and chase the target down. I am a firm believer of putting runs on the board but the conditions don't permit us that as the wicket keeps getting better and better as the game progresses. The tournament suggests that the target given has been chased down barring the only game we won batting first. We have one change. Jaydev Unadkat comes in for Siraj.India have won the toss and have opted to field"This is a super hard wicket. It looks a beautiful wicket. The new ball will fly through. The game goes on, it will spin a bit. The slower bouncer, the knuckle ball might come into play late in the game. 180-190 should be a good score." -- Brett Lee sums up the wicket.This is Kumar Abhisekh Das and our team of Pratyush Sinha, Vineet A, Nikhil Jadhav and Srivathsa will set the ball rolling as and when the action begins. For the moment, we wait patiently for the toss. Get your pop-corn ready. This show should be a blockbuster!The local fans of course will have sombre for themselves from the menu throughout the evening as their team is not contesting the finals. A win against India in the opening game of the tournament talked about a renaissance. But the fortunes were overturned as Rahim 'snake danced' his way to glory and Bangladesh tracked down a record 215. Every Bangladeshi fan and GIF maker had a field day capturing the final moments.Shirshendu shares the pain of the Lankan fans. He adds, "Also, waiting to find out how many people actually turn up for the game today? The general mood in Sri Lanka has been pretty low, obviously unhappy that Sri Lanka are out but also unhappy with the way they had to go out. Don't be surprised if India feel at home today with all support tilting in their favour."The combinations won't be tinkered and tankered with much. The Indian team might get back the services of Unadkat after Siraj leaked runs like an overflowing bucket in the last game. That is the only change expected from their side. As far as Bangladesh are concerned, the move to promote Sabbir might be persisted with to counter Washington Sundar in the powerplay overs rather than throwing in a leftie."Shakib al Hasan was one of the first persons to step out of the dressing room. He hit the nets facility immediately and have a decent crack with Mustafizur and Ariful bowling at him. As far as the Indians are concerned, Shardul and Washington Sundar are rolling their arms over on the side wicket. Rest of the boys enjoying some football." Shirshendu fires one more salvo at us.As usual our early bird Shirshendu Roy has some news from the venue, "One final time from the Nidahas Trophy, a very good evening from the R. Premadasa Stadium. Let me first answer the most important question of the evening - the skies are clear, it has been a sunny day in Colombo today. There's a nice breeze blowing across the stadium too. Players are happy to be out there in the middle and go through their warm-up drills.But all of that has been put behind now. Fines were imposed, enquiries made and some quick dust has been laid to settle the matter. India though were silent spectators to all the happenings of the 16th. Despite stutters in the tourney, a loss in the tournament opener, India sailed into the finals. Bangladesh though had to fight tooth and nail. Both their victories against Sri Lanka were historic and they can go a step further. Remember, Bangladesh has never beaten India in this format. Seven-Nil it stands in India's favor. 18:00 Local Time, 12:30 GMT, 18:00 IST: A shirtless Shakib, a controversial call, a fist pumping Mahmudullah, a notorious snake dancing jig, a glass door dusted into ductility, some angry words and a disappointed crowd. Nidahas Trophy was meant to commemorate a celebration of Sri Lanka's independence but the fracas of the virtual semifinal took a lot of the sheen away from the cause. The gentleman's game was anything but that.**************** Preview by Shirshendu Roy
When the Nidahas Trophy kick-started on March 6, there were reports that the final of the tournament was already sold out, and that India and Sri Lanka were expected to lock horns in it. India managed to live up to the expected standards, and form one half of the title clash, but an emotionally-charged Bangladesh defied conventional wisdom and usurped the hosts to take the other spot.
Through two fascinating wins over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh have upped their T20 game like never before and now stand on the brink of turning a new chapter in this format for themselves. But they cannot let the events and emotions of their final spot-sealing win over Sri Lanka to repeat itself. Surely not against an opponent they have never beaten in this format.
Such was the drama around Bangladesh's victory on Friday night that their fine exhibition of skills took a backseat. Tempers flared beyond acceptable levels, and it was the 'cobra dance' and the confrontation between the two teams during the final over that appeared on most of the front pages, and not Mahmudullah's finishing move. As expected, captain Shakib Al Hasan and squad member Nurul Hasan were fined 25 percent of their match fees and also handed one demerit point each.
Besides all the unnecessary fracas though, is the fact that their senior batsmen - Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah - stood up and made it count in the crucial fixture. Though the bowlers were ordinary in the second-half of Sri Lanka's innings, they should be buoyed by their start which had resulted in the hosts being reduced to 41 for 5. If Mustafizur Rahman's second spell was as good as his first, Bangladesh would've chased much lesser. Mehidy Hasan too brought out his best game. Shakib's return to lead the team has visibly added an extra spring to their stride.
In the opposition camp, India are better-placed than their final opponents. Since their opening day defeat to Sri Lanka, India have only moved ahead - winning three on the bounce to waltz through to the final. One of India's foes could be law of averages - catching up on them in the title clash. But they battled that to a great extent in their previous game when Rohit Sharma stepped up after Shikhar Dhawan's rare lapse, and Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey put in assured performances in the middle-order. One of their biggest pluses in the series has been Washington Sundar's coming of age. The teenager's growing stature of being an effective bowler during the powerplay overs strengthens India chances further, throwing another hurdle in Bangladesh's path to title triumph.
With all bases seemingly covered for India and the odds stacked heavily in their favour, Bangladesh might have a mountain to move in the finale. And yet, Shakib & Co.'s ability to fight fire with fire should stop India from taking the fixture - and the result - for granted.
When: March 18 (Sunday), 7 PM Local
Where: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
What to expect: A 50 percent chance of thundershowers during late afternoon and early evening. But the fact that the worst-hit game in the series due to rain was a 19-overs-a-side affair, is an encouraging sign.
Team News:
India
Jaydev Unadkat was back bowling at full tilt, and should be in for Mohammad Siraj as the only change for the final.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (w), Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal
Bangladesh
It's unlikely Bangladesh will tinker with the combination that gave them a fascinating win over Sri Lanka and took them a step closer to series victory.
Probable XI: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (w), Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam
Did you know?
- India have had the better of Bangladesh in the seven head-to-head encounters between the two sides. Only Pakistan have won more T20Is in a row against an opponent - nine against Zimbabwe.
- Bangladesh have featured in four finals - thrice in ODIs and once in T20Is - losing all four. This is the first time they play a final outside Dhaka.
What they said:
"Let?s be fair to India as a cricketing nation - whether we play the second string or the first string team that?s always the case. When we play Bangladesh, if we win it?s like 'Ok, you?ve won against Bangladesh', but if we lose it?s like 'dude, you?ve lost to Bangladesh. What are you doing?'. I?m sure that?s going to be there." - Dinesh Karthik.Teams:India (From): Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik(w), Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Rishabh PantBangladesh (From): Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Islam, Abu Jayed, Taskin Ahmed, Imrul Kayes, Nurul Hasan, Ariful Haque, Abu Hider Rony
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