HOT SPOT: Dubai all set for India vs Bangladesh lung opener in Champions Trophy

Pakistan had a nightmarish start to their campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy on Wednesday. This is good news for India in many ways as they take on Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday (today). There has been so much uncertainty over this edition of the Champions Trophy, a blue-riband ODI event. For all those who thought the 50-over format would be finished and the Champions Trophy confined to pages of history, a fresh edition is welcome. No sporting event should die, it has value, even if small.

Cricket exists in many forms and with T20 the hottest one, people thought the ODIs would perish. Looking at empty stadia seats in Karachi, the worst advertisement for any sports, Pakistan seems reluctant to watch their own team play. The way they competed against New Zealand was poor, lacking energy and intent. And with Babar Azam scoring runs not for the team but for himself, it made it worse for the hosts. As defending champions, Pakistan beginning with a loss has led to the whole nation sinking into depression.

From an Indian point of view, Pakistan losing in the lung opener is good news. As the Men In Blue take on Bangladesh in Dubai, there is a buzz in the air. Cricket in the United Arab Emirates has been hot, literally. The weather pattern this time appears cooler and the cricketers need to turn on the heat every which way. From whatever one can see at practice sessions to the press conference from Rohit Sharma on Wednesday, India look in a happy frame of mind. There are many takeaways from the skipper’s press conference. He was coughing as well, but that should not stop him from leading the side against Bangladesh, a tricky side. As Virat Kohli had pointed out, playing Bangladesh in the first match is more than symbolism. The previous time they did so in an ICC event in 2011, India sealed the trophy with MS Dhoni as skipper.

If people think such trivia is irrelevant, don’t get it wrong. Any athlete who steps into the field of play does think about stats, what happened in the past, small trivia. More so in a sport like cricket where stats and facts count so much. Rohit had hinted what happened in Australia during the BGT Series needs to be forgotten., The captain is in command and he will want to lead with flair and fluency. For those who think Bangladesh are an easy opponent, that’s wrong. Cricket inspires them and the entire lot back home.

If India can win this match, heading into the big one against Pakistan on Sunday will become even more exciting. After all, India are playing two rivals in succession who are not the best of neighbours -- politically.  In batting, India look solid. Rohit heaped lavish praise on his deputy Shubman Gill, whose ODI performances have been solid. From the top of the batting order, there is plenty of variety. The template which India has in mind will be aggressive, though, how the wicket will play in Dubai is going to be interesting.

For those who read a bit on weather reports, Dubai is cooler now. What happens once flood lights are turned on will be different. Captain Rohit Sharma has hinted he has bowlers for all conditions, be it swing and seam or spin. He also clarified taking five spinners to Dubai was a misnomer as three of them are all-rounders. If one goes by predictions made by former greats in cricket, India are favourites. Even though the series against England was terribly one-sided, it did offer practice in the ODI format. In an era of excess T20, ODIs still seem relevant.

At least, when a top country like India is playing, the demand for tickets in Dubai and hotel packages are soaring. That’s good news for all the stake-holders.