India can’t bungle against Bangla

Bengaluru, Galvanised by the triumph over archrivals Pakistan, a confident India will look for another big victory and inch closer to the semifinals when they square off against an embattled Bangladesh here tomorrow.
Under tremendous pressure after the opening loss to New Zealand, India roared back by beating Pakistan in a high-voltage clash at the Eden Gardens to put their campaign back on track.
A victory in tomorrow’s match would take the hosts a step closer to the semifinal berth and the team would look to ensure that it wins big to improve its net run rate, which took a hit owing to the New Zealand loss.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, are on the verge of being knocked out of the event. A win tomorrow would go a long way in giving them a mathematical chance of making the last- four stage.
On the eve of the match, veteran Indian pacer Ashish Nehra stressed that they won’t take the match lightly considering Bangladesh’s good showing against top teams in recent times.
“Bangladesh have been playing good cricket for the last 2-3 years. The way they have improved is quite amazing. We will not take Bangladesh lightly. We have to play to our potential if we have to beat them,” said Nehra. “Our mood is good. The kind of cricket we are playing in the last 2-3 months, we are all happy and satisfied. The kind of firepower we have, if we put it to use, we will definitely win the game.”
Being the senior-most bowler in the side, the 36-year-old said he loves sharing tips and his experience with other seamers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
“I am enjoying it. My job is very important, it includes passing on the experience which I’ve gathered in the last 16-17 years to Bumrah, Shami and Bhuvneshwar. I am sure I am helping them,” he said.
Asked about the slower bowlers making more impact in the World T20, Nehra said, “It depends where you are playing and what kind of situation you are in because T20 is such a format where the wicket definitely plays a big role. In Nagpur and Kolkata, slow bowlers came into play and the match between England and South Africa was full of runs.”
The Indian pace spearhead said T20 cricket had reduced the gap between the sides. “T20 cricket is definitely a great thing for all the teams and the way cricket is going globally, every team is good.”