Bangladesh vs India ODI series: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli Face Speed Merchants - Top-Five Battles to Watch Out For
The return of India's power-performers - MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja - makes the upcoming three ODIs against Bangladesh a must-watch. Virat Kohli will add muscle to the former world champions as the hosts seek 'revenge'.
India mark their return to ODI cricket - after a break of over two months - with three mouth-watering matches against Bangladesh at Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. The last time the two teams clashed in a 50-over contest, India stormed into the World Cup semis after a controversial umpiring call left the Bangla fans fuming. The World Cup is long over but emotions refuse to die. Here's taking a look at the top player battles to watch out for in the three day-and-night encounters, all with reserve days. (Complete coverage of Bangladesh vs India ODI series)
MS Dhoni vs Mashrafe Mortaza
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India's most prolific cricketer returns to the international arena after a rather successful World Cup Down Under. MS Dhoni led India to seven consecutive ODI wins till his side crashed out to Australia in the semis. Many regard that quitting Test cricket has helped him focus on ODIs a lot more and Dhoni will surely hit the ground running against Bangladesh. Not just his leadership but even his batting will be in prime focus as reports suggest he has worked on his batting style. Expect the shots from his prime to return to the fore when Dhoni aims to propel the middle-order towards a big score. (Also read: Bangladesh have more to gain from ODI series than India)
Bangladesh's ODI captain too will make a comeback - albeit after recovering from a road accident. He was traveling in a rickshaw for a training session when it was hit by a bus. Thankfully though, the pacer did not sustain any major injury and will return to spearhead the team and the pace attack. One of the most experienced campaigners in the current side, Mortaza is a veteran of 151 ODIs and would be looking to reach the 200-wicket mark in the series - he has seven more to claim. If Dhoni becomes one of his victims, the prize would be even bigger.
Virat Kohli vs Rubel Hossain
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Theirs is a new-born rivalry but one that may explode once again. Virat Kohli's battle against pacer Rubel Hossain was one of the highlights when India played Bangladesh in the World Cup quarters. Since, Hossain's celebration after removing Kohli has gone quite viral online. Both players are un-afraid to show emotions and play hard to win -- nothing less.
Rubel was kept out of the recent one-off Test to keep him fresh for the ODIs. That is how much importance Bangladesh attaches to his bowling abilities - and for good reasons. The 25-year-old rose to pinnacle of fame when his four wickets ousted England from the World Cup. He would finish with eight wickets from the tournament after his team lost the quarters to India. And it is time for revenge.
Kohli, for one, played down talks of his rivalry with Hossain. The two had exchanged words during the World Cup match but the India vice-captain since has had a lot on his plate. In the recent Test, he managed just 14 on a belter of a pitch to drop out of the top-10 batsmen in the longest format. In ODIs, he is currently fourth and would be itching to claim the previously-held second spot. Blunting Rubel's attack would surely give him the confidence of marching up in the rankings.
Rohit Sharma vs Shakib-al-Hasan
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Rohit Sharma is perhaps as important to India as Shakib-al-Hasan is to Bangladesh - albeit for different reasons. The Indian opener is an established destroyer of ODI bowling - with two double tons and the record for the highest individual score of 264. Shakib, on the other hand, doesn't really need records to prove his worth. The 28-year-old is a priceless all-rounder, who has helped his team in most of the 150 ODIs he has featured in. Bat or ball, this man can turn the tables on the opposition with ease.
Their duel will be based on the fact that Rohit is a prolific player against spin and hit 137 off 126 against Bangladesh. He was given a lifeline early and Bangladesh fans cried foul. This time, they would be praying for Shakib - a man who knows Indian cricket only too well, courtesy Indian Premier League - to dislodge him early.
Suresh Raina vs Taskin Ahmed
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Suresh Raina has said a full-strength Team India respects Bangladesh's ODI abilities. The hosts too would be wary of Raina and all that he can do with the bat. In many ways, Raina is like Rambo - a killer against any enemy and under any condition. With 374 runs at an average of 24.93 from the recently-concluded Indian Premier League, Raina also has momentum on his side and can prove to be deadly in the Bangla ODIs.
His main adversary though is a talented prospect as well. At just 20, Taskin has made headlines for taking 19 wickets from his 12 ODIs. The local-boy would now hope to add more Indians to his tally and his bowling in the middle of an innings would be crucial. Can he stop Raina from effortlessly switching gears? Will he intimidate him with raw pace and power? Talent says yes but only time will tell for sure.
Mohit Sharma vs Tamim Iqbal
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Pitch and conditions are minor considerations for Mohit Sharma when bowling his heart out. The pacer has quickly established himself as a burgeoning fast-bowling superstar of Indian cricket. With 13 wickets, he was second only to Mohammad Shami in India's list of highest World Cup 2015 wicket-takers and against Bangladesh, he would look to take the lead.
Tamim Iqbal, though, would have done his homework and would try to outfox the pacer. A diligent student of the game, Tamim slapped two tons and a fifty against Pakistan in the recent ODI series at home. High on confidence, a lot will ride on how he fares against India's new-ball bowlers.