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World Cup 2015: Qualifying from group stage was bigger challenge for Bangladesh than upcoming WC quarterfinal tie

With the World Cup quarterfinal tie between Bangladesh and India coming up on Thursday, skipper of the minnow cricketing nation Mashrafe Mortaza has claimed that qualifying from the group stage was a bigger challenge than facing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men in the knockout round.

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With the World Cup quarterfinal tie between Bangladesh and India coming up on Thursday, skipper of the minnow cricketing nation Mashrafe Mortaza has claimed that qualifying from the group stage was a bigger challenge than facing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men in the knockout round.

Ninth-ranked Bangladesh reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time after last week's popular upset win over England and would now face India in the quarterfinal tie at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.

And Bangladesh skipper Mortaza isn't worried about the quarterfinal tie, saying that the group stage was more important for them because they knew that they had to go through because back home all the people were expecting that they could beat some bigger side and go through, News.com.au reported.

Mortaza claimed that that was more pressure, adding that the boys are very relaxed now, and they they just want to perform. He insisted that the boys are really excited.

Mortaza is confident India's ever-present fan base won't intimidate his side. He said that he knows there would be 95,000 people coming to the ground and most of them would be Indian supporters, but he added that as a professional cricketer he has to concentrate on cricket, insisting that they can handle it.

Mortaza said that it is going to be a very exciting match for them because they feel very proud, adding that they feel very good in themselves. He said that he is hopeful that his side would give their best shot.

Meanwhile, India batsman Suresh Raina, who scored a century in last weekend's win over Zimbabwe, said that Dhoni's side would take a simple approach into Thursday's clash, adding that they have done really well in the last six games and now at the quarterfinal stages they won't have much time for errors.

Raina claimed that they just need to do everything right, adding that they cannot take Bangladesh lightly, insisting that they lost against them in the 2007 World Cup. 

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