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Former opening batter Aakash Chopra expects a routine performance from Team India in their upcoming Super 12 contest against Bangladesh. The Men in Blue lost their last match against South Africa in Perth, leaving them with four points from three matches.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, also have four points from their first three games but are placed below India due to having an inferior net run rate.
Shakib Al Hasan and Co. etched out close wins against the Netherlands and Zimbabwe but lost to the Proteas by a massive 104-run margin.
Noting that the stacked Indian top order will be able to negotiate the Bangladesh bowling unit without too much trouble, Chopra said on his YouTube channel:
"If Dinesh Karthik is fit, he will play for sure. I don't think that will change, so I don't see Rishabh Pant playing. So the only change that I see is Yuzvendra Chahal coming in for Deepak Hooda. I think against Bangladesh, the openers, No. 3 and No. 4 will be more than enough, I see a good batting performance coming."
Dinesh Karthik sustained a back injury during Team India's loss against South Africa. The wicketkeeping duties went to Rishabh Pant after the veteran player left the field.
Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, might consider changing the combination of the playing XI considering how different the conditions and dimensions are in Adelaide compared to Perth.
"I think he should play, he will get wickets for sure" - Aakash Chopra backs Yuzvendra Chahal to feature in Adelaide
Team India have stuck with the formula of playing with two finger-spinners so far this tournament. Several were backing wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to feature in the playing XI given the broad dimensions across Australian venues.
However, India's second-leading wicket-taker in the shortest format is yet to take the field.
Backing Chahal to be among the wickets should he feature, Chopra said:
"The ball comes onto the bat quite well also. So, I think India needs to go with an extra spinner. Now the question arises, why not Chahal? Everyone said last time around that not selecting Chahal was a huge mistake, but he is not playing this time around as well. I think he should play, he will get wickets for sure."
Team India opted to make one change to their winning combination by bringing in Deepak Hooda in place of Axar Patel. The ploy, however, did not pan out as hoped since the all-rounder was dismissed for a duck and didn't bowl.
Opining that Hooda should be the player paving the way for Chahal's return to the playing XI, Chopra said:
"I think that India will have to make some changes to their side because you played Hooda in the last match but did not get him to bowl. Here, you cannot afford to play Hooda, there is no need for this many batters."
Chopra added:
"The surface at Adelaide is similar to an Asian wicket, the bounce is a little less and the side boundaries are short."
India will take on Bangladesh on Wednesday, November 2, at the Adelaide Oval. The winner of the contest will claim the top spot in the group atleast until tomorrow.
Will Team India step up with a professional performance against Bangladesh without any hiccups? Let us know what you think.
