Champions Trophy 2017: Watch out India! Bangladesh is no pushover

They've beaten India in critical matches in past, and aren't the minnows they were some years ago

They weren't even participating in the first Champions Trophy in 1998, and had to just make do with hosting the event on their soil. But Bangladesh have come a long way since, and will be playing their neighbour and cricket giant India in the second semi-final in Edgbaston on Thursday.

India, the defending Champions, should not be complacent against the Bangla tigers, and would do well to remember their 2007 World Cup loss to the team in the league stage, which marked their exit from the tournament. 

At an event hosted by the Indian High Commission to mark the UK-India Year of Culture, Virat Kohli claimed everyone wants to see an India-England final. If both teams play well, people might get what they want to see. This remark of Kohli betrays a tinge of over-confidence among the Men In Blue, who thrashed Bangla Tigers in a warm-up match.

However, the semi-final of any tournament is a different ball game.

On many occasions, Bangladesh have shown that they can be fired up and have match-winning players who can snatch a game for them on any given day.

Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza are some of the players in the Bangladesh team that thrashed India in the 2007 World Cup. Ten years later, they have matured as a side and have the necessary experience to deal with the most difficult situations on the field.

Bangladesh, who were once considered among the minnows in the cricketing world, have a win-loss ratio of 1.46 from 34 matches since the beginning of 2015 — the best among the Asian teams.

Since April 2015, Bangladesh has defeated major teams such as Pakistan, India, South Africa on the home turf and has had some strong overseas performance as well. Their consistent show has helped them to seal a place in the Champions Trophy ahead of West Indies.

This is Bangladesh's maiden semi-final at an ICC event.

Bangladesh have so far been riding on the performances of their experienced players to book a semi-final berth, though there was some assistance from rain in the game against Australia, in which they were on verge of defeat when the skies opened up. Both the teams got one point each.

Nonetheless, the likes of Tamim Iqbal, who hit a century and followed it up with a 95 in the first two games of the tournament, and Mushfiqur Rahim who scored a fifty against England, helped the team punch above weight.

In a must-win game against New Zealand, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudulah Riyad scored magnificent centuries in a 224-run fifth-wicket stand that helped the team go past the more fancied Black Caps. The fact that they bounced back from a dismal 33/4 and went on to chase a target of 266 to win, proves their mettle.

India and Bangladesh have fought bitter battles in the recent past and India came victorious on two occasions in ICC events.

The first was the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal in Melbourne, a lopsided affair that India won by a staggering 109 runs. But it was the second, the 2016 T20 World Cup loss by a solitary run that still hurts Bangla Tigers.

 

Here are snapshots of some of the matches in which Bangladesh came victorious in major tournaments:

World Cup 2007, India vs Bangladesh: India lost by 5 wickets

One of the biggest upsets of the 2007 World Cup, with India losing to Bangladesh by five wickets in the first league match, triggering their early exit from the World Cup. India chose to bat first on a juicy track. Mashrafe Mortaza delivered a clockwise bowling performance, taking four wickets. India tried to rebuild the inning after collapsing but were bundled out for 191. Sourav Ganguly was the highest scorer with 66 runs in 129 balls. While chasing the modest target of 191, Tamim Iqbal led the charge, scoring 51 runs off 53 balls. Finally, it was the partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim that snatched the match from India.

 

Asia Cup 2012, Bangladesh beat India by 5 wickets

Bangladesh put India to bat after winning the toss. After losing Gautam Gambhir early, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar steadied the inning. Kohli made 66 of 82 balls. Sachin went on to score his 100th century. India managed to score 289 in 50 overs. That, obviously, wasn't enough. Because Tamim Iqbal’s magnificent 70 gave the Bangladeshis a great start. Later, Shakib Al Hasan clubbed five fours and two sixes, and Mushfiqur Rahim did his bit with the willow, hitting several sixes and boundaries to score a blistering 46 off 25 balls. In the 48th over, he flicked the ball over midwicket and hammered the subsequent full toss. He gave Bangladesh the match with a brilliant boundary off Kumar in the 49th over. 

2015 World Cup, Bangladesh beat England by 15 runs

In the 2015 match, England buckled after Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim rescued Bangladesh from 99 for four with a stand of 141 runs. Chasing a target of 275, Bell played unusually safe after Moeen Ali's needless run-out. To add to England's woes, Eoin Morgan fell to Rubel Hossain without scoring, in the same over in which the Bangladeshis got Ali. It was Morgan's fifth duck in 11 innings. 

Buttler and Woakes put up a face-saving partnership of 75 runs when England were reeling at 163/6. But the fight-back was shortlived as a tentative waft from Buttler saw him head back to the pavilion. Next ball, with 38 needed from 25, Jordan fell to the tightest of calls: having gambled on a non-existent single. After a magnificent team performance, Bangla Tigers won the match by 15 runs. A close shave, that.