World Cup 2023: Bangladesh all fury but signifying little against India

Since the setback at Port of Spain in Trinidad in 2007, India haven’t allowed Bangladesh even a sniff of victory in their World Cup meetings

“They (Bangladesh) can’t beat us in Tests. They can surprise you in ODIs but not in Tests. They are an ordinary side.”

Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan during practice (REUTERS)

This was Virender Sehwag’s characteristic see-ball, hit-ball response on the eve of a match in Chittagong in 2010 when asked whether Bangladesh can beat India in Test cricket. It’s been 13 years since Sehwag’s blunt remarks, a precursor to his current-day social media avatar, but it’s appropriate to ask a similar question. Can Bangladesh beat India in a high-stakes World Cup game?

Bangladesh’s legion of supporters will, of course, point to the famous upset they caused in the Caribbean in 2007, but in the 16 years since that win which sent shockwaves through India, their progress has arguably been minimal.

Which is why victory against India in Pune on Thursday will be considered just as big an upset. India are flying after three straight victories to kick off their World Cup campaign while Bangladesh are caught in a familiar rut. Since beating Afghanistan by six wickets in their opening match, they have been comprehensively beaten by England in Dharamsala and by New Zealand in Chennai.

The problems are manifold. Having allowed an England batting unit that’s not quite firing on all cylinders to hammer 364, they folded up for 227 in response. When it was their turn to bat first and give the bowlers a decent total to defend against New Zealand, they stumbled to a below-par 245/9. New Zealand won with eight wickets in hand and 43 balls to spare on a surface in Chennai that should have aided their spinners.

This is a World Cup in conditions that should suit Bangladesh’s strengths, and yet they continue to be rank outsiders. It’s been this way ever since their maiden appearance in the marquee event in 1999, seemingly content with pulling off the odd upset rather than harbouring serious ambitions of going deep in the tournament.

Since the setback at Port of Spain in Trinidad in 2007, India haven’t allowed Bangladesh even a sniff of victory in their World Cup meetings. In 2011, Sehwag and Virat Kohli slammed centuries as India cruised to an 87-run victory. In 2015, Rohit Sharma starred with a knock of 137 in a 109-run win. Four years ago in Birmingham, the margin of 28 runs doesn’t convey India’s superiority in the game.

For Bangladesh, contests with India have taken a bitter turn since their quarter-final exit in 2015. The rancour was caused particularly by a no-ball reprieve to Sharma when he was on 90, triggering severe backlash from their officials and fans alike. Bangladesh’s Mustafa Kamal, then ICC president, would even accuse the umpires of having an agenda.

Kamal had to resign from ICC weeks later while fans in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh continued to rage over the decision. That discontent doesn’t seem to have left the average Bangladesh fan, so much so that Mashrafe Mortaza had to ask his team’s supporters to be calm on the eve of their 2019 World Cup clash.

“There will be excitement, but it won't be acceptable if it crosses the limit or someone is targeted personally,” Mortaza had told BDnews24.com. “It affects relations between two countries and doesn't send a great message about our country either. Our supporters should definitely back us with all their heart, but it shouldn't become dirty. We should keep in mind that we don't do anything to belittle our country.”

Their players can be just as temperamental. Sample Shakib Al Hasan’s petulance – he kicked the stumps and later flung them to the ground in two separate incidents of frustration with the umpires – during a domestic game a couple of years ago. A more recent example is Tamim Iqbal’s omission for this World Cup and the subsequent bickering between him and Shakib in public.

Such behaviour betrays a lack of composure that can have an adverse impact in close contests. In the T20 World Cup, where the gulf between teams is bridged due to the nature of the format, Bangladesh have lacked the nerve to cross the finish line against India – a one-run loss in 2016 and a five-run loss last year spring to mind.

Interestingly, Bangladesh have won three of their last four ODIs against India. The most recent win came at the Asia Cup last month while Bangladesh also registered a 2-1 series win at home last year. But India didn’t field a full-strength side for these meetings. That’s the route India have often taken against Bangladesh, preferring to rest most of their first-choice players and seeing these games as an opportunity to test their bench strength. The series last year saw Ishan Kishan slam a double century to establish himself in the ODI squad.

The lack of consistent exposure against the top teams is an issue Bangladesh continue to grapple with. Having earned full member status in 2000, it’s revealing that they last played an ODI against India in India way back in 1998. In the past decade, 16 ODIs against India, three against Australia and 10 against England are simply not enough for any team striving to climb the ladder. Till this changes, it’s likely that Bangladesh will be confined to causing no more than the odd upset.