Rohit Sharma's men look to continue winning juggernaut

Going by the current form of the teams the popular prematch prediction of Indias ICC World Cup 2023 game against Bangladesh on Thursday will be a romp for Rohit Sharmas men But if the glossy surface is scratched one will have to tear away that view based on the form bookBangladesh have beaten India three times in the last four ODIs twice in a bilateral series in December 2022 and then in the Asia Cup Super Four match recentlyIn the batting front captain Rohit will look to continue his imperious form while top order batters Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli will be eager to score bigRohit has been at the forefront of Indias domination in the last couple of matches with stunning knocks of 86 against Pakistan and 131 against Afghanistan India are perched on the top spot in the points table and they would aim to extend their winning runWhile the two knocks of highest quality have put Rohit in the limelight his younger opening partner Gill would be itching to get a big score for himself given that he is back to full fitness and has had an impressive run in the ODIs this yearFor Kohli a mistimed hit against Pakistan led to an early dismissal but that was a minor blip as the batting maestro previously produced a masterful 85 against Australia and a matchwinning 55 not out against AfghanistanAmong others Shreyas Iyers unbeaten fifty against Pakistan has signalled that Indias batting is firing in unison and there are no real concerns As such the team may not want to tinker with the winning combination just yetNo doubt India will be firm favourites against Bangladesh considering their bowlers top class performances in restricting Australia for a mere 199 and Pakistan for a poor 191Also ReadAfghans relish new lease of lifeIndian bowlers too have done a collective job though Jasprit Bumrahs brilliance and Kuldeep Yadavs guile made them a stand out attack from the rest in the competition in their sheer ability to keep the opposition teams scoring rate in check and making regular inroads even on the flattest of decksBangladesh are not to be blamed if they spend a large part of their preparation time drawing up plans against Rohit whose redhot form promises a third century in a row in World Cup encounters against the TigersRohits stupendous 137 in the quarterfinal in Melbourne 2015 World and 104 in Birmingham 2019 ensured his side exceeded the 300run mark for a third consecutive time since 2011 edition against Bangladesh with India burying their opponents under a mountain of runs on each of these occasionsThe Indian captain has hit eight centuries the most for any batter in World Cup history and it remains to be seen how soon he enters doubledigit figures in terms of hundreds given his magnificent formNotwithstanding their impeccable run so far India will look to guard against any complacency knowing that this World Cup has already produced two sensational upsets with defending champions England hunted down by Afghanistan and South Africa stopped in their tracks by a spirited NetherlandsThe knowledge of conditions and an expected packed house at the MCA Stadium promises India the best atmosphere once again to record another win in this World Cup and continue their march towards the semifinals but Bangladesh are no pushovers and they have been a tricky side to face for IndiaFor Bangladesh it is imperative that their best player and captain Shakib Al Hasan overcomes the challenge of a quad injury to his left leg and is available for selection on ThursdayShakib who did not bowl on Tuesday during the teams training session will be essential for Bangladesh to take the fight to IndiaA comprehensive win in the World Cup opener followed by two defeats against better teams has put Bangladesh in a position of some desperation given that a third loss on the trot will only dent their hopesLitton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have one halfcentury each to show at the top order from the first three games but more will be expected from young players Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy as only Mushfiqur Rahim has done the heavylifting in the middle orderTaskin Ahmeds sudden dip in form has piled up pressure on the team which has been scampering for bowling options with the rightarm seamer managing only two wickets in three outingsFor someone as experienced as Mustafizur Rahman the returns have largely been disappointing as he also has only two wickets to show in three matchesWith inputs from agencies