BANGALORE — Veteran fast bowler Ashish Nehra said India can’t afford any slip-ups against Bangladesh Wednesday if it is to avoid a humiliating early exit from the World Twenty20 on home soil.
The host is precariously placed in fourth spot of Group Two after one defeat and one win and desperately needs an emphatic victory against Bangladesh to boost its run rate as it bids for a semifinals berth.
India’s six-wicket win over archrival Pakistan Saturday will have boosted its confidence after a shock 47-run defeat to New Zealand in its opening group match.
But Nehra, part of the Indian side that won the 50-over World Cup in 2011, said Bangladesh could not be “taken lightly.”
“Only two teams will qualify. Till the time (you do), you need to approach every game as a knockout game. There’s not too much room for error,” the 36-year-old said in a pre-match press conference Tuesday. “Everyone in the dressing room, we are not taking Bangladesh lightly.”
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has urged his big-hitters to improve their run rate dramatically against Bangladesh and then Australia in the following match if it is to be sure of qualification.
While Bangladesh has a poor track record in T20s, it beat India in a one-day series last year.
New Zealand tops the group on four points after two wins while Pakistan, Australia and India all have two points. However, India’s run rate, which could determine who qualifies, is considerably worse than its rivals.
“In the first game our run rate went down. So it’s not only about winning but you have to take care of the run-rate at some point,” added Dhoni.
The host is seeking to become the first country to win the World T20 title twice, after clinching the crown in 2007, and also the first to win at home.
A depleted Bangladesh, by comparison, will be desperate for a win after two straight losses, the latest to Australia by three wickets Monday.
Sitting at the bottom of Group Two after also losing to Pakistan, the Tigers have almost no chance of advancing to the semifinals, but skipper Mashrafe Mortaza vowed to battle on.
“We will keep fighting. We still have two matches to fight hard,” he said. The Tigers were left reeling after the ICC’s decision at the weekend to suspend its top bowlers Arafat Sunny and Taskin Ahmed for illegal actions, forcing it to rush in replacements from Bangladesh. There are also question marks over star batsman Tamim Iqbal who is unwell and did not play against Australia.
Teams
India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh.
Bangladesh (from): Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Abu Hider, Al-Amin Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wicketkeeper), Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal, Shuvagata Hom, Saqlain Sajib.
