Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza on Saturday conceded that India are the clear favourites to lift the Asia Cup T20 cricket trophy and only the familiarity with home conditions could tilt the balance in his side’s favour in the summit clash here on Sunday.
India have been in rampaging form with four convincing wins in the tournament, including the 45-run thumping of Bangladesh in their opening league match, and Mortaza made it clear that “there was no debate” on who are the favourites in Sunday’s final.
“We all know that Indians are clear favourites in the final. let there be no debates or discussions on that,” Mashrafe said at a press conference.
“What we have got is a young team which has won matches playing as a unit. We still don’t have a T20 star, who can single-handedly win us a match. Crowd, pitch, conditions, everything will favour us tomorrow but that can never ensure that we will win the final,” Mashrafe said.
While India Team Director Ravi Shastri termed Sunday’s final as “yet another match”, Mashrafe said that for his team which rarely make final appearances, it’s a “big occasion”.
“What Ravi Shastri has said is absolutely right. It is another match for them as they are used to hype and big matches. They can take it like 10 other matches. India has played big finals, won trophies. What is easy for them may not be that easy for us. But we are trying to focus on the game, shut ourselves from the hype and remain and play as normally as possible,” he said.
Mashrafe said playing the final of Asia Cup T20 adds a “different flavour” but he personally rates playing the quarter-final of the 50-over World Cup against India in Melbourne last year as a “bigger achievement”. “I believe as a captain, the biggest achievement was leading the team in the quarter-finals of the World Cup against India in MCG last year,” the skipper said.
Shakib sustains injury
There was some bad news in the Bangladesh camp ahead of their final against India with vice-captain and top all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan sustaining a “left hip-flex injury” in a training session.
Shakib was hit by a delivery in his left thigh region and was seen applying ice-pack on friday. He also walked with a slight limp and looked in pain. On Saturday he tried to practice but did not continue for long.
“Shakib has sustained a hip-flex injury after being hit by a delivery during yesterday’s net session. These injuries in common language can be termed as thigh-muscle injury. These are known as ‘conditional injuries’, which normally heals in 48 hours. Today during option practice, he felt the pain again and didn’t practice much. But we are hoping that he will play tomorrow,” Team physio Bayjedul Islam said.