New Delhi: High-flying Bangladesh will take on Pakistan in an intense encounter of the ICC World Twenty20 campaign in a Super 10, Group 2 tie at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday.
Bangladesh saw their way through to the main draw after notable performances in the qualifying stage of the World T20 and the prospect of a victory at the historic Eden Gardens will excite them.
The Tigers got the better of Pakistan in the Asia Cup recently and their current form will be a source of concern for the latter.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will hope to bank on their bowlers to give them a victory, amidst all the incidents that have been surrounding the side. The Shahid Afridi-led side know that their top-order will need to click and come good in order to increase their chances of a commendable outing.
With several big players in both sides, here are some key battles that could set the tie alive.
Mohammad Amir vs Tamim Iqbal: Amir's pace and movement early on against two left-handers in Tamim and Soumya Sarkar, could set the game for his side. Amir will hope to use the conditions well at the Eden Gardens and pick early wickets. Meanwhile, Tamim is in excellent form and comes from a match-winning ton in the qualifiers.
Mashrafe Mortaza vs Mohammad Hafeez: The Bangladeshi skipper will look to use the deck hard and bowl a good line and length. Mortaza is highly experienced and his variety will be the key here. meanwhile, Hafeez looked in good touch against Sri Lanka in the warm-up game and needs to build his innings after negotiating the early spell.
Shakib Al Hasan vs Shoaib Malik: Hasan's introduction will be a key decision for Mortaza especially during the middle overs. With Pakistan batting struggling of late, a lot of responsibility will lie on Malik to dictate the proceedings. Coming in the middle order, Malik's application against Shakib will be pivotal for the game's fortunes.
