Bangladesh stunned England yesterday defeating them by 15 runs. They not only defeated the European giants, but knocked them out of the tournament.
India vs Bangladesh seems likely in the quarter-finals of the tournament, but only if India beats Ireland in their bout today. If India manages to beat Ireland, they will face Bangladesh at Wellington on March 21.
India and Bangladesh are likely to face each other in quarter-finals
England’s defeat yesterday would have definitely brought a smile on India’s face, for if it were not for that result India would possibly face England in the quarter-finals.
Bangladesh beat England by 15 runs
Batting first, Bangladesh scored 275, thanks to a century score from Mahmadullah (103) and half-century by Mushfiqur Rahim (89). England’s two top scorers were Jos Butler and Ian Bell, who scored 65 and 63, respectively. Eventually, England was bundled out for 260 runs.
India will be wary about giant-killers Ireland. Their medium pace bowling, especially, is accurate and could cause the Indian batting line-up trouble.
India vs Ireland
Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar had a word of caution for India before their match. “Batsmen have to be careful in New Zealand. The ball will move in the air and off the pitch. India need to tighten up their batting. They should play every match like a final from now on”, Gavaskar said.
MS Dhoni, on the other hand, has a chance of overtaking Sourav Ganguly’s record of successive World Cup match wins (8 wins tied between the two). After beating the West Indies last Friday, Dhoni became India’s most successful overseas ODI captain (59 wins).
Bangladesh, too, are renowned for handing crushing defeats to their opponents at cricket’s most coveted tournament. It was in 2007 when Bangladesh beat India in the first match, which eventually played a crucial role in the latter being knocked out of the tournament early.
Bangladesh players celebrating their victory against England
This is the first time for Bangladesh entering the quarter-finals. They are likely to face the subcontinent giants India provided they finish fourth in the Group A table and India remain on top in Group B.
The celebration after victory against England was a sight to witness. Even the crowd went berserk, as instantaneous victory processions transpired in New Zealand as well as in the home country of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh fans celebrating their victory against England
The Tigers, at present, sit at the third sport in the points table. With their last match to be played against the in-form New Zealand, their chances of losing the match seem high. This would push them to the fourth spot setting up their clash against India in the quarter-finals.
