Big picture: India’s attacking template
The way India played showed that Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir are continuing the attacking template set by Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid that helped them clinch the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Apart from Nitish Kumar Reddy (16 not out off 15 balls), everyone batted at a strike rate above 150. Moreover, they no longer suffer from the problem of their batters not chipping in with the ball. Their XI in the first T20I had as many as eight bowling options, something Suryakumar called a “happy headache”.
Form guide
India WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLLW
In the spotlight: Hardik Pandya and Najmul Hossain Shanto
If Hardik personified India’s brave approach, Shanto’s innings showed what Bangladesh need to work on. Coming in at No. 3, Shanto could manage only 27 runs, and two boundaries, despite facing 25 balls. A reason behind his cautious approach could be that Bangladesh had lost two wickets inside the first three overs, but even then a strike rate of 108 was too low. To change Bangladesh’s fortunes, the captain will have to lead by example.
Team news: Miraz to open?
Just to give as many players a chance, India could bring in Tilak Varma for Reddy and Harshit Rana for Mayank Yadav.
India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Varun Chakravarthy
Tamim Iqbal, who is in India as a commentator and an expert for the host broadcaster, said after the first T20I that he suggested to Shanto to open with Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Will Bangladesh listen to their former captain, or stick with what they have, or bring in Tanzid Hasan for Parvez Hossain Emon?
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Parvez Hossain Emon/Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Pitch and conditions: A high-scoring venue
Stats and trivia: Suryakumar’s double dose
- Bangladesh have beaten India only once in 15 meetings in T20Is. The only team against whom Bangladesh have a worse record (minimum three T20Is) is South Africa: nine matches, nine losses.
- On average, Suryakumar hits 2.01 sixes per innings (139 in 69) in T20I cricket. Among those who have hit at least 50 sixes in T20Is, only Evin Lewis (2.13; 111 in 52) averages more than two sixes per innings.
- Hardik (87) and Arshdeep Singh (86) are fourth and fifth, respectively, on the list of most T20I wickets for India.
- Litton Das is 53 short of becoming the third Bangladesh batter to score 2000 T20I runs. Shanto needs 65 to reach 1000.
Quotes
“We [Punjab Kings] did not play here this IPL, but after seeing the scores, I did not feel like checking the wicket (laughs). But yeah, we will come tomorrow and see what could be a good plan here. And of course, the captain and the coach will check the wicket and share their plan.”
India left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh on the pitch in Delhi
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo