Bangladesh target maiden T20I series victory over India

The upbeat Bangladesh team are looking forward to seal their maiden T20I series against India when they will face the hosts in the second match at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Thursday evening with rain posing a threat to affect the game.

The match will kick off at 7:30pm (Bangladesh time) and will be telecast by Gtv, reports news agency UNB.

Prothom Alo online (www.prothomalo.com) will livestream the match.

Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad told the media that the Tigers are eager to make history by winning the second T20I in Rajkot. At the same time, he also admitted that hosts India will be more aggressive in the match after their defeat in the first game in Delhi.

“It’s a big opportunity for us to seal the series against India. We came to India to play a bilateral series for the first time. So, it’s a big occasion for the Bangladesh cricket. But it won’t be an easy affair as the hosts will come in a more aggressive way,” Mahmudullah told the media on Wednesday.

In the first game, Bangladeshi bowling attack managed to restrict India to 148 in 20 overs. The batsmen also chased down the target of 149 runs with seven wickets in hand.

The win changed the mindset of the Tigers, and now they believe that they are capable to display the same performance in the second game as well.

“It’s important to take the right decision in right time. T20 cricket works this way. We have to make sure that we’re making the right decisions. We have variations in our bowling attack. Along with some world-class spinners, we have a good bunch of pacers as well,” the Bangladesh captain said.

Young all-rounder Afif Hossain also talked to the media before the second game. The 20-year-old praised captain Mahmudullah for his message to the players to play with freedom.

“The captain told us to do what is better. He gave us complete freedom. He told us to be more aggressive in the field,” Afif told the pre-match press conference.

“I don’t know whether India are in pressure or not. We won the first match and that boosted our confidence. We’re feeling good ahead of the second game. I think it’ll help us win the series in India. It’s my first foreign tour with the national side. So, I’m looking forward to prove my mettle here,” he added.

Bangladesh played five T20Is series consisting of three matches before but won only two of them. Now, the Tigers have the chance to make it three.

Before heading to this series, Bangladesh played eight T20Is against India but failed to register any win. However, they ended the drought in the first game of the series.

While Bangladesh are eager to make history, Indian captain Rohit Sharma said they are focusing on not repeating the mistakes they had made in the first game.

“We have to make sure that we don't repeat the same mistakes. We failed to play cricket what we wanted to play in Delhi. We’ll be under enormous pressure in Rajkot. The pressure is on the entire team to return to the series. We need to perform better. We’ve lost as a team. So, the pressure is on the entire team. So have to come up collectively,” Rohit told the media.

When both the teams are expecting a win in Rajkot, there are many talks about cyclone Maha, which was formed in the Arabian Sea. The latest weather update said a weaker Maha will make landfall at Gujarat coast on 7 November.

But the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said the fear of heavy rain in 48 hours cannot be ruled out now.

Bangladesh T20 squad: Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mushfiqur Rahim(WK), Mahmudullah(C), Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Aminul Islam, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Abu Hider Rony, Mohammad Mithun and Taijul Islam.