In the crucial Super Four match of the Asia Cup today, Bangladesh will face India. Tomorrow, they will play against Pakistan. The Tigers have to take on two World Cup–winning teams on consecutive days.
Bangladesh is set to face India in the Asia Cup T20 Super Four. Ahead of the clash against the strong opposition, Tigers’ head coach Phil Simmons sounded confident. He clearly said, “Every team has the ability to beat India.”
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Simmons said, “The game depends on those three and a half hours on that particular day. What India has done before doesn’t matter. What we do on Wednesday is what really counts.”
Explaining the path to victory against India, he said, “We want to play our best cricket. We will try to force India into making mistakes. That’s how we can win the match.”
After Bangladesh’s dominant six-wicket win over Sri Lanka, excitement in the camp has risen ahead of the India clash. On this, Simmons said, “There’s pressure in every match. But matches against India bring extra interest, because they are the number one T20 team in the world. We will enjoy that. We’ll play with joy, and that’s how we can produce our best performance.”
Remaining calm, the coach once again reminded his players that the goal isn’t just to win a single match. Simmons said, “I try to keep emotions under control. We haven’t come here only to beat Sri Lanka. We’ve come to win the tournament. So until we are knocked out or lift the trophy, everyone must stay focused.”
Regarding the Dubai pitch, Simmons thinks the toss doesn’t have much impact. He said, “Across 40 overs I didn’t see much difference in the wicket. Some very good pitches have been prepared here. They’re excellent for batting. But bowlers have to bowl really well. The toss doesn’t provide any big advantage.”
However, Simmons expressed dissatisfaction with the back-to-back match schedule. Bangladesh will face Pakistan right after playing India. He said, “Playing T20s or ODIs on two consecutive days is really tough.”
