3 mantras for Tigers

Despite the record 215-run chase against Sri Lanka in their previous game, the Bangladesh team management and players are not willing to rest on the laurels of that historic win ahead of their crucial T20I tri-series Nidahas Trophy encounter against India at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.

In order to capitalise on the momentum shift achieved by their win against Sri Lanka after six months of forgettable cricket, the Bangladesh players and management talked off the record about three resolutions that they will arm themselves with when taking the field against the top-ranked T20I side in the world.

CONSISTENCY

Often, despite a magnificent performance in their previous game, Bangladesh players have lacked consistency which has led to their downfall in the past. You don't have to look too far back for examples as this was the case in the ODI tri-series at home when they fell apart after hammering Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the first two games. Therefore, the first and most crucial aspect of the Tigers' game plan focuses on consistency. The Bangladesh batsmen did almost everything right against Sri Lanka on Saturday and the Tigers' think tank wants to replicate the same execution. The message has already been sent to all players to forget their heroics against Sri Lanka and try to make a fresh start with same intensity.

ADAPTABILITY

The second focus for the Tigers will be on the ability to adapt to different situations and not expect the same conditions and situations they experienced against Sri Lanka during their five-wicket win. Rain will play a crucial role in their next encounter against India, as that has been the prevailing weather condition in Colombo for the past 48 hours and there is a high chance of rain today as well, according to the weather forecast. In the game between India and Sri Lanka on Monday the match lost 95 minutes to rain and was reduced to a 19-overs-a-side game. The Bangladesh team management has taken the rain into account and are prepared for a curtailed-overs game. The focus, however, will be on being open to possibilities and adapt to the situation regardless of whether it rains or not.

CONFIDENCE

After a series of disappointments over the past six months or so, the confidence level of the Tigers had reached near non-existent levels before they managed to come back strong against Sri Lanka. The unprecedented chase of 215 has boosted confidence levels dramatically and the players want to bank on the confidence against India. There was, however, an additional message for the players to not become over-confident, which at times have landed the team in trouble. From the juniors to the seniors, everyone in the dressing room has set their minds to a certain confidence level and as Mahmudullah said during the pre-match press conference, they will be keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground when they take on India today.