Bangladesh Coach Confident Despite Underdog Status Against India

Before showing up for his news conference on Wednesday night, Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe kept the media waiting for over 30 minutes.

A disorganized crowd inside the stadium began screaming "Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega" as soon as he entered the arena and sat down in his chair. Unfazed by the commotion, he maintained a serious expression, refusing to yield to any pressure.

Can the underdogs deliver another electrifying display? Hathurusinghe was unaffected despite this being a familiar refrain.

"We've had recent success against India, but the World Cup is a completely different game," said the player. Since India is most likely the tournament's in-form squad, we must play to our full capacity, said Hathurasinghe.

The former Sri Lankan cricketer maintained his composure despite being reminded frequently of Bangladesh's victory over India in the 2007 tournament. They are also encouraged by Bangladesh's recent success against India, winning three of their last four encounters.

The Indian batsmen's susceptibility to left-arm spin has increased their expectations as well. Left-arm spinners have claimed 42 wickets, compared to 21 and 24 for leg and off spinners, respectively. That is where Shakib-al-Hasan's significance resides. The Bangladesh captain has a grade 1 quadricep tear, and the coach says he will wait for the findings of a scan performed on Wednesday before making a decision.

Even though Shakib hasn't had any difficulty, he skipped practice on the day before the game. The seasoned pro will not give up any ground in the mental battle, and this has raised hopes that he will be included in the starting XI.

Virat Kohli has been dismissed five times by him in ODIs, giving the Bangladesh captain one additional incentive to perform.

Shakib's presence doesn't really important to the Indians. "You've got to give it to him. He's done well, he's a champion player, he's handy, he bats for the team, he bowlers well, and he bowls in the Powerplay. However, it doesn't really matter to us, according to bowling coach Paras Mhambrey.

It would require some work on the part of Bangladesh bowlers to apply the brakes given the marauding attitude of the Indian bat­ters and the low boundaries at the MCA Stadium. On Thursday, the first of the five matches at the location will take place on the brand-new pitch, and the bounce and carry will undoubtedly aid the stroke-makers.

Although Mustafizur Rahman has played in spurts and stops, the Bangladesh pace attack has lost the majority of its bite. Without early progress, it would be challenging to control the run-rate. The result will depend on how Bangladesh bats.

Mohammed Shami may still have a chance despite the Indians' desire to maintain their successful lineup. Bangladesh's practice was shortened on Wednesday night due to a mild drizzle. But Bangladesh's fortunes couldn't hope for such good fortune.

with six games remaining

Pune: According to Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, the recent occurrences in which Afghanistan and the Netherlands defeated highly anticipated foes have opened up this World Cup.

"Now that last week's events have passed, the World Cup is officially underway. That inspires us everybody," Hathurusinghe remarked on Wednesday.

Bangladesh has currently dropped two of their three games.

We still believe we can win the last six games. That serves as both inspiration and incentive, the coach stated.

"The only thing I can ask of my team is that we give it everything we've got. After that, I have very little control over the result. I believe we can defeat any team if we perform at our highest level.

We are not yet meeting our goals in terms of performance. I am aware of the players' desire to do better. In the batting group, we haven't given a comprehensive performance," Hathurusinghe remarked.

"Given the circumstances, Bangladesh's fast-bowling unit might be crucial. They've had success in the past. Recently, they haven't done enough, and we've talked about it. They are capable of doing better than this and have in the past.

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