IND vs BAN: With Team India facing Bangladesh in Antigua, Indian bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya can be seen following Australia’s plan of slow-cutters against Bangladesh. While Bangladesh batters tried to put some runs on the scoreboard against the Aussies, it was Australia’s seamers who then shifted to using cutters and slower balls, while leg-spinner Adam Zampa capitalized from the other end. Bangladesh’s innings faltered from that point, ending at 140/8, which Australia chased down comfortably by 28 runs via the DLS method as rain halted their chase.

Perfect start in the Super 8s! 💪 @surya_14kumar, you were brilliant with the bat, and @Jaspritbumrah93 keeps delivering for us on the big stages!🔥🤩 Keep going, boys! 🇮🇳 @BCCI pic.twitter.com/bOIxcjxFhY

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— Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 20, 2024

Team India To Use This Plan Against Bangladesh

If India was observing, they received a clear demonstration of what to expect from their next opponents, Bangladesh and Australia. India is set to face Bangladesh at the same venue on Saturday, and based on this match, it promises to be a challenging encounter in these conditions. Having learned from their struggles, Bangladesh will not be easy opponents, especially if left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman effectively uses his cutters like Pat Cummins did in the latter part of the innings, following up on Zampa’s efforts. Additionally, Bangladesh has leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who can take wickets in the middle overs.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who adeptly uses slower cutters even with the new ball, demonstrated this by dismissing the aggressive opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz on Thursday. Bumrah’s unpredictable and effective deliveries broke Afghanistan’s momentum, aided by another off-cutter that led to Hazratullah Zazai’s dismissal. Alongside Bumrah, India has Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, both capable of bowling cutters. Hardik favors the slow bouncer with a cutter, and Arshdeep can vary his lengths with such deliveries, posing a significant challenge for Bangladesh’s batsmen, who already struggled against Australia.

Since the 2021 T20 World Cup, Australia’s strategy on slow pitches has been consistent. After their new-ball bowlers go full throttle, seamers like Cummins, Stoinis, Mitch Marsh, or Cameron Green rotate with Zampa at one end, using cutters. Batsmen, unable to accelerate against the seamers, often target Zampa, as seen when Das attempted a sweep and lost his stump. This triggered Bangladesh’s collapse.

Like Bangladesh, India’s batters have also struggled against cutters, as seen in last year’s World Cup final against Australia. Mustafizur has a history of troubling Indian batsmen. However, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav are now prepared to adopt an aggressive approach in the middle overs, reducing the burden in the final overs for India.

Also Read: Will Bangladesh Prove To Be Turning Point For Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli?