Agencies
Mirpur, June 17
That India, ranked No. 3 in the ICC ratings, are taking their first ODI since they exited the ICC World Cup semifinal on March 26 very seriously is not in doubt. What appears to once again be the talking point in Bangladesh, however, is the monsoon weather that threatens to have a say in the three-match series, starting with the first game against the hosts at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.
Rain allowed only 184.2 overs to be completed during the one-off Test in Fatullah last week, and the forecast is not a lot better for Mirpur with thunderstorms and showers predicted. The tone is striking to that of the last Bangladesh vs India ODI series, played in Mirpur in June last year, and in which two completed ODIs were interrupted by rain and the third washed out after just 34.2 overs.Seven of the eight players who were rested for that short ODI tour - Dhoni, Kohli, Dhawan, Sharma, Ashwin, Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar - are this time part of a full-strength side which shows how serious the Indian team is taking this series. Raina spoke of this fact ahead of the first ODI.
"You saw that after the IPL, the full Test team came and now the full ODI team has come," he told reporters. "Bangladesh have done well in ODIs recently, and this shows how important a series this is for us. We have done well in ODIs recently, and we are looking forward to it."
The makeup of India's XI is likely to resemble that which went unbeaten at the World Cup until the semifinal at the SCG, with the exception being the absent Mohammed Shami.
The home team should feel more comfortable switching back to ODI cricket, considering it was in green and red that they swept Pakistan 3-0 not long ago. It can be argued that this is the most settled of all Bangladesh one-day teams and with Mashrafe Mortaza at the helm they will assume a bit of a sharper edge against India, whose record against this opposition in ODIs stands at a lopsided 29-3.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Litton Das, who made his Test debut last week in Fatullah, looks set for a first ODI cap as well though he will most likely not keep wickets now that Mushfiqur Rahim is set to don the gloves. It is likely that Das bats in the top order, at No. 3 after Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar.
The only other uncapped player in the squad, young Mustafizur Rahman, may have to wait for his debut. Bangladesh's pace attack is likely to be formed by Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed and Mortaza. The sturdily-built Taskin made a memorable ODI debut when India last toured the country in June 2014, becoming the first Bangladesh bowler - and ninth overall - to take five or more wickets in his first appearance. On that wet day at this very ground, rain had a say in a two-and-a-half hour delay, after which the quicker bowlers thoroughly enjoyed themselves - none more so than Stuart Binny, who took a gobsmacking 6 for 4 in 4.4 overs on a juicy surface.
