ODI series preview: Bangladesh v India

Cricket365
July 27, 2014

India and Bangladesh do not often face each other in ODIs unless it's part of an ICC tournament, so this three-match series over the next week will hold significance, even though India have sent a second-string side.

When the squad was announced for this little trip, with Suresh Raina as skipper and missing a number of big names, the Tigers were distinctly unimpressed as it put them in a tricky situation, as Mushfiqur Rahim acknowledged.

Now that MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin are absent, there is pressure on Bangladesh to do well, but it also insulted them as Rahim accused India of 'taking the series lightly'.

For India though, this is a chance to give games to players who might not usually feature, like Cheteshwar Pujara. The Test regular has struggled to break into the ODI team as he's not seen as a short-format player, so he will be keen to impress.

Another man who will want to do well is Robin Uthappa, who had a blistering IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring the most runs in the tournament and bagging 10 40-plus scores in a row, including four half tons. He last played an ODI for India in 2008.

Bowling-wise, some other IPL stars will be in action, including Mohit Sharma, who took 23 wickets for Chennai, the most in the tournament. Spinners Parvez Rasool and Akshar Patel are in line for debuts as India search for their best line up for the World Cup next year.

The TIgers, meanwhile, have only won one ODI against India in their last 10 completed games, stretching back to 2007, and their form this year doesn't provide optimism. They've lost all seven ODIs, including against Afghanistan.

They've been forced to stick with Tamim Iqbal, who is terribly out of form, though Shakib-al-Hasan had a good IPL and will hope to carry that form into the series. But, he's always asked to save the day, and it's not often enough.

Key Men For the hosts, there really isn't anyone else but Shakib. He is their top ODI run scorer, their second-highest wicket taker, and took 11 wickets in the IPL. But one imagines this will have to be a full team effort.

Last five Head-To-Head Results 2014 Asia Cup: India won by six wickets in Fatullah Asia Cup 2012: Bangladesh won by five wickets in Dhaka 2011 World Cup: India won by 87 runs in Dhaka Asia Cup 2010: India won by six wickets in Dambullah 2010 Second ODI: India won by six wickets in Dhaka

Squads Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Shamsur Rahman, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mithun Ali, Abdur Razzak, Masrafe Mortaza, Shohag Gazi, Ziaur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed.

India: Suresh Raina (captain), Robin Uthappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Wriddhiman Saha, Parvez Rasool, Akshar Patel, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Stuart Binny, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra.

Fixtures First ODI: 15 June in Dhaka Second ODI: 17 June in Dhaka Third ODI: 19 June in Dhaka