In a World Cup that's seen its fair share of drama and upsets, the Indian cricket team has emerged as a dominating force, striking fear into the hearts of its opponents. Bangladesh's head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, expressed his views on India's formidable form as his team prepared to face the hosts on October 19 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
India's unbeaten streak, marked by three consecutive victories, stands in stark contrast to Bangladesh's recent struggles with two losses following their tournament opener win against Afghanistan.
Bangladesh coach acknowledged that India's well-rounded squad presents a formidable challenge. "I think they have covered every area. They got strike bowlers up front. Bumrah has almost come to his best, as good as we have seen in the past. They have good, experienced spinners going in the middle overs. And their batting, especially the top order is firing, and it's scary the way they are playing at this stage without much fear," Hathurusingha noted.
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The coach emphasised the significance of enjoyment in a team's success, commending India's approach.
"It looks like they are enjoying their cricket at the moment and their home World Cup, and there is a lot of support," Hathurusingha added, highlighting the positive atmosphere surrounding the Indian team.
One of the key concerns for Bangladesh was the fitness of their star all-rounder and captain, Shakib al Hasan. Shakib has been nursing a left quadriceps niggle, and his availability for the crucial clash against India remained uncertain.
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"He (Shakib) had a good batting session yesterday. He did a bit of running between the wickets as well. We are waiting for the result of the scan we did today. We haven't tried his bowling yet. We will assess him tomorrow morning, and make a decision," Hathurusingha revealed.
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Shakib's participation would depend on his fitness and the medical staff's recommendations, with the final decision resting with the captain and coach.
Bangladesh had previously enjoyed success against India, winning three of their last four ODI meetings, but Hathurusingha emphasised the distinction of World Cup contests. The coach acknowledged that a well-rounded performance, both with the bat and ball, would be crucial for Bangladesh to challenge India.
"We had success in the recent past against India, but it is a different ball game in the World Cup. We are hoping to have a complete performance. India, the in-form team in the World Cup, has a not-so-good game, and (if) we play to our potential, it will serve us. We need to start well," he said.
As the highly anticipated clash between India and Bangladesh approaches, all eyes will be on Shakib al Hasan's fitness and the challenge that India's formidable team presents to their opponents.