Nothing to lose for the Tigers
Bangladesh will not mind going into their second World Cup game against defending champions England as underdogs in Dharamshala today.
The Tigers can use that unenviable tag to great effect in a game where England will desperately look to get their World Cup campaign back on track after that unexpectedly crushing nine-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the opening game.
Considering the batting arsenal that England possess, they might win the game at a canter, which was the case four years ago in Cardiff where they posted a mammoth 386 and won the contest by 106 runs.
The game can still go south for England as evidenced in the biggest stage in 2015 and in 2011.
But that is now a thing of the past for an England side that has revolutionised their batting style since the 2015 World Cup. England are not just a team to beat now but a team to follow for their aggressive style of play.
There is no doubt England will come all guns blazing against Bangladesh. The question is how the Tigers will cope with the English juggernaut.
The team management has certainly laid out a plan that it kept close to its chest. We don't know whether there would be a change in the playing eleven from the opening game which the team won against Afghanistan by six wickets.
However, there is a strong possibility of Bangladesh fielding a sixth bowler, leaving Mahmudullah on the bench to give the bowling attack more options against a powerful batting line-up. It will probably be a toss between left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed and off-spinner Mahedi Hasan, considering good purchase by the spinners in the game against Afghanistan.
The biggest concern for the Tigers, however, is their non-performing openers. The Tigers' fans will desperately look forward to seeing an enigmatic Litton Das hitting form and young Tanzid Hasan giving him good company so that the team can build on a solid opening stand.
Although 'impact player' has been the buzzword for the Tigers with off-spinning all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz enjoying his elevated role in the batting, the ploy will not guarantee success every day. To perform consistently well, others will have to play their due role.
Ahead of the England game, the Tigers' camp was in a relaxed mood. Why should they be tensed? They have nothing to lose. They should also be aware of the fact that a defeat would be disappointing for the millions of fans back home, but not as devastating as it would be for a losing England side.
The Tigers lost their second warm-up game against England in Guwahati by four wickets, with the English sparing 12.5 overs in a rain-reduced 37-over-a-side game. The game could have been much closer had Bangladesh not spilled a staggering four catches, including two by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim.
With three pacers in the blowing line-up, Bangladesh had every possibility of creating some early chances to upset the free-scoring England batting line-up. The Tigers had a perfect day on the field against Afghanistan where they took all the five changes on offer.
The fans will expect a similar energetic ground fielding and catching from the Tigers against England. A dropped catch can be devastating for any team, which was the case for Australia against India on Sunday.
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