Bangladesh will seek inspiration from 2007 World Cup win against India when the two Asian nations lock horns in Thursday's quarterfinal
It's an oft-repeated story, but deserves to be told again.
The 2007 World Cup was just a few days old. Bangladesh's Mashrafe Mortaza, then a promising pacer, was chilling with good friend Yuvraj Singh at the team hotel in Port of Spain. Back then, the affable Yuvi's room used to be an adda of sorts. Soon, the others trooped in. As one conversation merged seamlessly into another, one of the Indian players went a little too far. With two days to go for the team's opening match against Bangladesh, he cribbed that the Men in Blue would get barely any rest after the final, to be played more than 40 days later in Barbados. Why? Well, because the tour of Bangladesh would start almost immediately.
All this while, Mortaza kept mum. He was in the company of some of the world's most established players. But he felt bad. And he had every right to. After saying his goodbyes, Mortaza went and narrated the incident to his teammates. Expectedly, they were all fired up.
On March 17, 2007, Mortaza led from the front with a clockwork-like bowling effort to bundle out Rahul Dravid's side for 191 in 49.3 overs. Bangladesh's response with the bat was precise. Led by the batting efforts of teenagers Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan — all made fifties — the Tigers got home with five wickets in hand and nine deliveries to spare. Mortaza's 4/38 earned him the Man of the Match award. India went on to lose to Sri Lanka and crash out of the tournament while Bangladesh progressed to the Super Sixes.
A lot of water has flown through the Teesta since, but the protagonists of that stunning upset at the Queen's Park Oval, are very much around. In fact, they are the bulwarks of the Bangladesh team. Mortaza is the skipper, Iqbal the first choice opener, Shakib the No. 1 all-rounder and Rahim the most reliable batsman and also wicketkeeper. Hasan and Rahim have led the side for a considerable period of time while Iqbal has been the vice captain.
A lot of water has flown through the Ganga too. And Mahendra Singh Dhoni would acknowledge that fact. Back then, he was an enigma of sorts with a flowing mane of henna-coloured hair, a dashing batsman with a penchant for hitting sixes. Today, he is a sober, wiser and calmer version of the same man. He is also one of the most astute captains in world cricket. Only he would be able to tell the Virat Kohlis and Mohammed Shamis as to how funereal the atmosphere was in that dressing room. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Anil Kumble, all wearing a desolate look. It was the worst time to be an Indian cricket fan.
But chances are that Dhoni won't dwell on the past. For someone who insists on living in the present, Dhoni is unlikely to go so far back in time. A salient feature of his personality is that he never ever takes any game or opponent lightly. He is too smart and wise to know that the game is capable of hitting you hard in the face. And that is precisely why Mortaza and his mates should be a little more careful. If the Tigers think they can channelise their general dislike for India into another spirited performance, then Dhoni's boys will straight-bat them with their roaring form and pedigree.
Bangladesh have good reason to hate India. Our eastern neighbours have toured every country but India. Players from every major cricket-playing country — except Pakistan, of course — are well represented in the IPL. And incidents, like the one in Yuvi's room eight years ago, aren't a one-off. You've heard Sehwag call them an "ordinary team" not capable of picking up 20 wickets in a Test match. You've seen the International Cricket Council's 'Big Three' — India, England and Australia — put them in a spot by putting their Test status on the line. That plan was shelved.
No wonder, then, Bangladesh take every India game very seriously. It's the same spirit with which you took on your bhaiyya in the backyard many years ago. If you won, you were the toast of the family. If you lost, you still got a pat on the back. Dhoni wouldn't mind praising Mortaza all night. But he wouldn't trade anything for a win. He knows he can't lose to Bangladesh. Not after winning six games on the trot. Not after topping the group. Not as the defending champions.
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