After the England-India game, no team remained undefeated at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The hosts revived their semi-final hopes, diminishing the chances of Pakistan and Bangladesh. India, on the other hand, still have a cushion of two matches to fall on. One more win to their credit and Virat Kohli’s men will join Australia to become confirmed semi-finalists.

The latest update for Team India is that Vijay Shankar has been ruled out of the World Cup on account of his toe injury. Batsman Mayank Agarwal will be flying to England to fill in for the all-rounder for the remainder of the tournament.

Today’s fixture against Bangladesh will be an opportunity for the Men in Blue to come back stronger after their first CWC 19 defeat. What’s more, they will be playing at the same venue as their game against England – Edgbaston. Acquainted with the ground and seeking redemption, India will be keen to get back to winning ways.

What will boost the confidence in the Indian dressing room is their head-to-head record versus Bangladesh – last four meetings have resulted in comprehensive wins for India. However, they will know better than to take Bangladesh lightly. Mashrafe Mortaza and Co. have proven in their three wins so far that not only do they have quality players, but they are also a spirited unit.

Team Form:

To India’s delight, Rohit Sharma is back among the runs in staggering fashion. Our Hitman scored his third hundred of the tournament. Despite the knock not going for a winning cause, Rohit’s form will be pivotal for India’s success at CWC 19. Captain Kohli has five consecutive fifties to his name, making the top order for the Men in Blue truly menacing. With Hardik Pandya striking the ball at 140.6, the team relies on the dynamic player to add firepower in the latter stages of their innings.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are proving to be a deadly duo of swing bowling, match after match. The wrist-spinning pair – Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav – that has tasted tremendous success in white-ball cricket – got hit for 160 runs between them by the hosts. The two spinners will be determined to come good against Bangladesh.

In the Bangladeshi outfit, Shakib Al Hasan has been the stand-out performer. The World Number 1 all-rounder has had a World Cup that has been nothing short of a dream. In the six matches he has played, he has racked up two centuries and three fifties, thus averaging 95.20 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim has also come good with his contribution of 327 runs.

Shakib has been handy with the ball as well, having picked 10 wickets in the tournament so far. Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin, though on the expensive side slightly, have contributed with timely wickets for their team.

Key Battle:

Rohit Sharma vs Mustafizur Rahman

This will not be an unfamiliar face-off as the Indian opener and Bangladeshi bowler have played each other in the nets of Mumbai Indians. The camaraderie will certainly take a backseat as the two players realize the significance of the game. Rohit being India’s top scorer and Mustafizur, Bangladesh’s joint-highest wicket-taker, this clash at the start of the innings will be an intense one.

India will be keen to get through to the next stage of the competition without leaving it till their last game against Sri Lanka, while Bangladesh will do everything to keep themselves alive in the race. The match will start at Edgbaston, Birmingham at 3 PM IST.