A red-hot India is set to take on hot and cold Bangladesh in the 17th match of the ICC World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue have registered three wins on the trot and are bossing in the top two positions in the World Cup standings. They have outclassed teams like Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan in their first three games and look eager for more.
Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha is a worried coach ahead of the clash and has heaped praise on the Indian team. "I think they have covered every area. They got strike bowlers upfront. Bumrah has almost come to his best, as good as we have seen in the past. They have good, experienced spinners going in the middle overs. And their batting, especially the top order is firing and it's scary the way they are playing at this stage without much fear," Hathurusingha said ahead of the game.
'Shakib won't play if he doesn't feel ready'
Shakib Al Hasan is troubled with a quadriceps injury and is in doubt to feature in the crucial game against India. Meanwhile, the coach opened up on his fitness and claimed that he wouldn't play if he was not ready. "He (Shakib) had a good batting session yesterday. He did a bit of running between the wickets as well. We are waiting for the result of the scan we did today. We haven’t tried his bowling yet. We will assess him tomorrow morning, and make a decision," "If he is not ready to play, we won't risk it. If he is ready, there's a chance of him playing tomorrow (Thursday)," he added.
He claimed that the medical staff will give their opinion on Shakib and they will decide whether to make them play or not. "First it is the medical staff who gives us their opinion. They give the green or red light. They give us an indication of where the player is. If they think it is not risky, the player is given the choice of playing the game or not. It comes to the captain and coach whether they want the player or not. If he is wanted in one or both disciplines," Hathurusingha added.
