In the much-awaited semi-final of Champions Trophy 2017, India meets Bangladesh on Thursday at 3 p.m. The winner will face Pakistan in the finals. The Hindu brings to you all that you need to know about the game.
The pitch:
Edgbaston has rolled out a strip not used in the Champions Trophy so far. The surface is expected to be dry and full of runs.
The weather:
A cloudy morning is expected to be followed by a sunny afternoon with a maximum temperature of 20 degree Celsius.
Watch out for
India's Ravichandran Ashwin in the nets during a practice session ahead of their ICC Champions Trophy 2017
India's Ravichandran Ashwin in the nets during a practice session ahead of their ICC Champions Trophy 2017
R. Ashwin: After defeat to Sri Lanka, India drafted Ashwin in for Umesh Yadav and it worked. The off-spinner bowled with control, taking one for 43 from his nine overs. “Ashwin was brilliant in the last game, and I don’t see any good reason to change that,” Kohli said on Wednesday. “The team played really well. It was a complete performance, and I certainly don’t think that there’s any need to change anything.” Ashwin’s role will mainly be defensive here, but Bangladesh, with three left-handers in the top order, will be wary.
Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman (File Photo)
Mustafizur Rahman: ‘The Fizz’ rocked India in his debut series, taking 11 wickets from the first two ODIs of his career to propel Bangladesh to a historic series victory in 2015. But after a brilliant first season in international cricket, he has struggled with injury and form. He will be desperate to make the world take notice again; there can be no bigger stage. India’s batsmen will no longer be surprised by his cutters, but they will still need to deal with them.
