The Asia Cup heads to Sharjah for the first time in the tournament on Tuesday as we head back to Group B for the clash between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in what is a bigger match for the former than the latter.
Afghanistan opened up their campaign not just with a win over Sri Lanka but with one which was emphatic enough to suggest that it will take something quite bizarre for them not to qualify for the next stage. Bangladesh open their tournament here.
Afghanistan
If you had asked anyone in the Afghanistan camp what they wanted from their opening match it would have been a victory to ease the pressure on them in this match. They got that and some as they chased down a paltry total in just over 10 overs to give them a net run rate which even if every team in this group end up with a win each should see them through to the next stage. That means they can attack this game with not a lot to lose.
The opening game was basically won inside 13 overs when their bowlers had taken eight wickets. It is all well and good having conditions which suit them but they still have to deliver the goods and the Afghan bowlers certainly did that. There was never much danger of them not chasing the runs down but what I liked about the run chase was that their openers came out and expressed themselves. That might be significant down the line in this tournament.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh come into this tournament with a heck of a lot to prove. While the strides they have made in the 50 over game is there for all to see, their 20 over form over the last year or so can only be described as shocking. If we go back to the end of the first phase of the T20 World Cup last year, Bangladesh have played 16 T20 internationals and come out on the right side of just two of them. That run includes a series in Zimbabwe which they lost and one against Afghanistan which they drew.
The big problem for Bangladesh is that they don’t seem to have the batters with the power and brute force that is required in the modern T20 game. This is a surprise because they have a T20 domestic tournament which attracts plenty of decent players so you would think they would be starting to come through by now but that isn’t the case. What also doesn’t help them when they go overseas is that they play their home matches on terrible wickets to bat on and are quickly found wanting away from home. They have a chance to show that isn’t the case here.
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Team News
Generally when teams win matches as emphatically as Afghanistan won that opening one they don’t rush into changes but the fact they are as good as through might make them tempted to bring those who didn’t feature in the opening game into the side to get them involved before the competition really begins.
Bangladesh have a few more options available to them than they did in Zimbabwe in their last T20 outings but it can’t help that Tamim Iqbal doesn’t play T20 internationals or that Nurul Hasan and Litton Das are injured. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim being available does help though.
Betting
There has to be an advantage to Afghanistan having played a match in this competition in these conditions already and while the tournament has moved to Sharjah for this match that might only suit the Afghans anyway as they will get more value for their big hitting shots, shots that not all the Bangladesh players have in their repertoire and certainly not against the quality of spin that is going to be on show against them.
Afghanistan can play this match with a bit of freedom as they are as good as through such was the margin of their opening win. I guess you could say Bangladesh can play a little freer as they can’t be out of the tournament here unless they suffer a monster defeat which is unlikely but they are going to have to adjust to the conditions which Afghanistan won’t really need to. If I had to I’d have Afghanistan as the marginal favourites here so the fact they are odds against outsiders makes me like them for a bet in this one.
Tips
Back Afghanistan to beat Bangladesh for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with Coral
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