Bangladesh senior player Mashrafe Mortaza insists if the hosts upstage India in their Asia Cup opener today it cannot be termed as an “upset” because they have defeated the five-time champions earlier.
Mortaza draws confidence from the three victories Bangladesh have notched against India including the five-wicket win in their last encounter in the same tournament at Dhaka two years ago.
“I don’t count it as an upset if we win against India,” Mashrafe said yesterday. “We have done it before. They have been playing in different wickets in South Africa and New Zealand but do well in the sub-continent, and we know this well.
“We are playing at home where the support and conditions are known. If we can come up with our best cricket I think we can fight it out.
“Everyone is excited, especially the younger players. They want to show something. We are playing at a major event, and I know that everyone is trying their best. “If most of us perform, it is easier for us to win.”
Teams
India (probable): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (C), Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron.
Bangladesh (probable): Shamsur Rahman, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque (WK), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (C), Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Ziaur Rahman, Sohag Gazi, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain.
