 Rampaging India not to show mercy against Bangladesh
27th Jun 2008 23:06 IST
Agencies
With Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni keen to maintain the momentum, Bangladesh should not expect any mercy when they take on the tournament favourites in the super four stage of the Asia Cup in Karachi on Saturday.
Dhoni and his men pummeled minnows Hong Kong and mighty Pakistan with identical ruthlessness and Bangladesh would require a miracle of sort to halt the Indian juggernaut on Saturday.
Sensing that a sense of complacency might creep in among the ranks, Dhoni has already warned his teammates not to lower the guard tomorrow and the Indian captain is not ready to underestimate Bangladesh either.
"Cricket is a cruel game and you cannot afford to relax. We are here like the others to try to win this tournament as it is a big one from the Asian point of view," Dhoni said.
"We have to win all our matches for we want to carry the momentum to the final. I'm happy with the bowlers' performance, while the batsmen too are on song," Dhoni said.
For India, Irfan Pathan is still recovering from the side strain that saw him missing the first two matches and the left-arm seamer is likely to sit out tomorrow as well even though his absence was never felt.
After thumping Hong Kong in the first match, India sent a warning to all by chasing down a 300-run target against Pakistan, which speaks volumes of the team's batting strength.
Pakistan amassed 299 and hoped India would crumble under the pressure but with Virender Sehwag continuing to torment the Pakistanis and in-form Suresh Raina deciding to make up for his prolonged absence in the national team, India made it look like a stroll in the park and cantered to a six-wicket win.
The big-hitting Indian batsmen already have developed a liking for the National Stadium track and Dhoni reckons 300 may seem a difficult target for others, but surely not for his team.
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