At the start of the ODI series, irrespective of how well Bangladesh have been playing ODI cricket at home, the vast majority would not have predicted the hosts already sealing the three-match series 2-0. That is the reality, however, and now India need to muster up a stellar performance in the 3rd ODI match in Mirpur on Wednesday to avoid an unthinkable whitewash.
Bangladesh, take absolutely nothing away from them, have been the better team by a long way – the fact that neither of the first two games were even close says it all really.
So, what can India do to turn their fortunes around and pick up a pride-salvaging-a-little-bit victory in the third one-day international?
Well, they will need to improve on their batting, and, yeah, on their bowling as well. While the batsmen have been poorer than poor, the bowlers haven't been as penetrative as the Bangladesh bowlers. The entire India bowlers have taken 12 wickets in the series – without counting the run outs -- while Mustafizur Rahman has scalped 11 Indian wickets all on his own.
That in itself tells the story – if you cannot pick up wickets and put the batsmen under constant pressure, runs will flow, and for Bangladesh they have certainly flowed a lot easier than for India.
Bangladesh's bowling has been outstanding; they have bowled well as a unit, and cranked the pressure up on the India batsmen pretty much every over.
As good as the Bangladesh bowlers have been, though, the India batsmen should have been good enough to negate the threat. There is no way a 19-year-old left-arm paceman should be allowed to pick up five and six wickets respectively in his first two matches in ODI cricket.
India are a better batting unit than that, and all they can do, after the series defeat, is show it in the final match of the series.
The likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who have got starts in the series, need to go on and make a big score, while Virat Kohli desperately needs some time out in the middle – India's over-reliance on the top three has been pretty evident in this series.
After that brilliant century against Pakistan, Kohli has gone off the boil a little, and with plenty of things being said every time the India vice-captain is on the field, it surely is time for the batsmen to let his willow do the talking.
The way Bangladesh have played the first two matches, however, it will be far from easy. Clearly picking up the changes of pace of Mustafizur is proving to be difficult for the India batsmen, while Taskin Ahmed, Mashrafe Mortaza, Rubel Hossain, Nasir Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan have all backed the youngster up admirably.
Bangladesh's batsmen, while not entirely convincing, have been able to find the right partnerships at the right time – something India have completely failed to do – and the key for India will be to put them under pressure for sustained periods.
Pride for one team and an historic whitewash for the other – this 3rd ODI certainly promises to be another cracker.
Where to Watch Live
Get the 3rd ODI Report HERE
Get the Twitter reactions on Ravindra Jadeja being dropped HERE
Get the Score Update and first XI news HERE
The 3rd ODI Match is scheduled for a 3 pm local time (2.30 pm IST, 10 am BST, 5 am ET) start. Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 3 (and their respective HD channels) will show the match live, while the action can also be watched live via live streaming online in India, and the rest of the sub-continent on Starsports.com and Hotstar. Viewers in Bangladesh can also flip the remotes to GTV to catch the potentially history-creating Bangladesh vs India match live.
Audience watching the game in the US can catch the action live on Willow TV, while Willow TV Online will provide the live stream option.
Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa will be able to watch India vs Bangladesh live on OSN Sports, while the match can be live streamed on OSN Play.
