The middle overs of ODIs often seem inconsequential, yet India aims to prove this wrong during the Champions Trophy in Dubai. Their recent series showcased their batters scoring quickly while the bowlers consistently forced errors, even without star player Jasprit Bumrah. Bangladesh, transitioning to a more well-rounded bowling attack, faces challenges as their last ODI was a loss to West Indies. Meanwhile, both teams prepare under dry conditions with pitches favoring bowlers. Notably, Kuldeep Yadav excels in middle overs, while players like Shubman Gill are in form. Bangladesh also copes without key players, relying on experienced pros for support.
The broader view: Those uneventful middle overs
The middle phase of an ODI can often seem insignificant. Mahela Jayawardene batted during exactly this phase in the ODI World Cup final and scored a hundred. However, that match—and his innings—are not what people most remember. The overs between 11 and 40 frequently resemble the unwanted filling of a sandwich that still could have been better, as the excitement at the start of every innings and the suspense of how it concludes remain ever-present.
Bangladesh might be in a better position to handle the spin challenge than England were. Many of their batters are emerging from a high-scoring BPL season, possibly indicating that concerns about home pitches being overly spin-friendly and insufficiently preparing players for flatter international conditions have been addressed. This shift might have fostered the emergence of varied bowlers, creating a more balanced attack that no longer relies solely on slower deliveries.
The one drawback is that Bangladesh last played an ODI in December 2024, during which they lost 3-0 to the West Indies, a team that is not participating in this Champions Trophy. Furthermore, in their last encounter against India, they conceded 285 runs in 34.4 overs during a Test match and allowed 297 runs in even fewer overs in a T20I.
Recent performances
India: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLLW
As he hooked Mark Wood high into the stands, Shreyas Iyer took a moment to celebrate with both fists raised. He wasn’t just acknowledging a personal achievement or a team win; it felt even more significant. Early in his career, Iyer was labeled as someone who struggled against fast short balls. With that delivery coming at 145 kph aimed at his head, he hit it cleanly for six runs. He views this as a vindication of his growth.
Team updates: A wave of speed for Bangladesh
There were concerns regarding Rishabh Pant after he suffered a blow to his knee during training, but he doesn’t make it into India’s preferred ODI XI, with KL Rahul selected as the wicketkeeper batter. Mohammed Shami has made strides toward recovery, although his pace is not yet back to its usual standard. Arshdeep Singh is likely to take the spot of the second seamer ahead of Harshit Rana.
India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh
A few recognizable names are absent from this Bangladesh squad, including Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das. However, seasoned players like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah remain essential to the team’s efforts. Tanzid Hasan, opening the batting, brings with him strong recent form, having ended up as the second-highest scorer in the BPL.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Nahid Rana, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Pitch and conditions: Opportunities for bowlers
Dubai, the venue for all of India’s matches in the Champions Trophy, is not a typical location for ODI cricket involving top-tier teams. In fact, the last 50-over game here took place in March 2024, featuring Scotland and Canada. There have been merely four scores exceeding 300 in 58 matches held there. The weather is expected to be pleasant, and both teams anticipate a pitch leaning slightly towards the drier side.
Statistics and trivia: Mehidy and Kuldeep add immense value
- Since his debut in June 2017, Kuldeep Yadav has been the most effective bowler during the middle overs of ODI cricket, with 139 wickets at an average of 27.8 and an economy rate of 4.88.
- In 12 ODIs since the 2023 ODI World Cup, Bangladesh has recorded the lowest scoring rate of 4.93 during middle overs across all teams in the Champions Trophy.
- Among 56 batsmen who scored over 1000 runs since March 2022, Shubman Gill holds the highest average at 63.4.
- This is the first major tournament that Bangladesh will compete in without Shakib since 2004. Mehidy Hasan Miraz must shoulder that responsibility, a feat he has accomplished before when he guided his team from a precarious 69 for 6 to victory against India in 2022.
- Both India and Bangladesh last faced off in an ODI in Dubai back in 2018.
Quotes
“He doesn’t bowl too many variations to us in the nets. He bowls just one type of delivery. Maybe, he doesn’t want to show his variations to us, even. But that is a good thing. He has got certain weapons which he wants to just put out there when it actually matters. I am more than happy if he wants to do that.”
Rohit Sharma on Varun Chakravarthy
“I think we always struggle with our seam attack, but the last couple of years we have got some quality fast bowlers. We have some fast bowlers, but now we have got Nahid Rana and Taskin with their current performance. I think it helps a lot. As a captain, we love to see fast bowling and bowlers who can serve the team well.”
Najmul Hossain Shanto is pleased with Bangladesh’s fast bowling options
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo