Big picture: Those boring middle overs
It can feel like the middle phase of an ODI don’t matter all that much. Mahela Jayawardene came in to bat at exactly this point in the final of an ODI World Cup and made a hundred. But that is not that match, or even he, is remembered for. Often enough, the overs between 11 and 40 are like the unwanted filling in a sandwich that would’ve otherwise been delicious, because there is always anticipation at the start of every innings and intrigue to see how it comes to a close.
India – especially this 15-member squad – are in Dubai to challenge this notion. In their most recent ODI series, they showed that their batters could score quick runs without inviting undue risk and their bowlers showed that they could provoke a mistake, over and over and over again. It wasn’t just a dry run for how they hope to win this Champions Trophy. It was a dry run for how to win without their best player. Jasprit Bumrah, whose skills render him capable of shaping every phase of the game, seem to actually come at a price and his body is currently paying it.
Bangladesh are, potentially, better placed to cope with a trial by spin than England were. Most of their batters are coming out of a high-scoring BPL season, which may be a sign that the players’ concerns about pitches at home being too spin-friendly and not doing enough to prepare them for flatter conditions abroad have been taken on board. Potentially following on from that, it’s allowed the development of other kinds of bowlers, leading to a more rounded attack that is no longer reliant on people taking pace off the ball.
The only hitch is that Bangladesh played their last ODI in December 2024, which was part of a series they lost 3-0 to West Indies, a team that didn’t make the cut-off for this Champions Trophy. And, the last time they faced India, they gave up 285 runs in 34.4 overs in a Test match and 297 runs in way less than that in a T20I.
Recent form
India: WWWLL(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLLW
In the spotlight: Shreyas Iyer and Nahid Rana
As he hooked Mark Wood in the air and watched the ball sail into the crowd, Shreyas Iyer took a moment to punch the air with both fists. He wasn’t celebrating a personal landmark or his team’s victory. In some ways, the moment was a little more precious than that. Early on in his career, Iyer was marked as a player who was uncomfortable against the short ball at high pace. That one was coming for his head at 145 kph and he hit it well enough to get six runs. He will see it as vindication. Others will see it as growth which works in his favour too.
It was in Pakistan that Nahid Rana truly showcased just what he was capable of and while he won’t be kicking off his Champions Trophy on those shores, he will still take heart from the kind of chaos he was able to inspire off of two lifeless Rawalpindi pitches just three months ago. The trip to India that followed wasn’t great for him, but now he has another chance and the payoff this time is even bigger. Bangladesh have never had the kind of firepower he brings to the pitch and they will be eager to make full use of it.
Team news: Plenty of pace for Bangladesh
There was some concern around Rishabh Pant after he was hit in the knee at training, but he doesn’t make India’s strongest ODI XI with KL Rahul the preferred wicketkeeper batter. Mohammed Shami has worked his way back up to fitness, although his pace seems a bit off from its usual peaks. Arshdeep Singh will likely take the second seamer’s spot ahead of Harshit Rana.
India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh
A few familiar faces are not part of this Bangladesh squad, notably Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das. But other old pros like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah remain crucial to the cause. Tanzid Hasan at the top of the order has good recent form to carry him, having finished the second-highest scorer at the BPL.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Nahid Rana, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Pitch and conditions: Something in it for the bowlers
Dubai, which will host all of India’s matches in the Champions Trophy, is not a regular venue for ODI cricket between top-tier teams. Even otherwise, the last 50-over game here took place in March 2024, between Scotland and Canada. There have only been four totals of 300 or more in 58 matches held there. The weather is set fair and both teams are expecting a pitch on the slightly drier side of the spectrum.
Stats and trivia: Mehidy and Kuldeep bring huge value
- Since his debut in June 2017, Kuldeep Yadav has been the most potent bowler in the middle overs of ODI cricket with139 wickets at an average of 27.8 and an economy rate of 4.88
- In 12 ODIs since the end of the last ODI World Cup, Bangladesh have maintained a scoring rate of 4.93 through the middle overs, the lowest among the teams competing in the Champions Trophy.
- Since March 2022, among 56 batters to score 1000 runs or more, Shubman Gill has the highest average – 63.4.
- Bangladesh are without Shakib at a major tournament for the first time since 2004. Mehidy Hasan Miraz will have to shoulder that burden and he’s done so before, most famously when he rescued his team from 69 for 6 to win the series against India in 2022
- Both India and Bangladesh last played an ODI in Dubai in 2018
Quotes
“He doesn’t bowl too many variations to us in the nets. He bowls just one type of delivery. Maybe, he doesn’t want to show his variations to us, even. But that is a good thing. He has got certain weapons which he wants to just put out there when it actually matters. I am more than happy if he wants to do that.”
Rohit Sharma on Varun Chakravarthy
“I think we always struggle with our seam attack, but last couple of years we have got some quality fast bowlers. We have some fast bowlers, but now we have got Nahid Rana, Taskin the way they are bowling. I think it helps a lot. As a captain, we love to see bowling fast and bowl for the team.”
Najmul Hossain Shanto is happy with Bangladesh’s fast bowling attack at his disposal