With Queensland battered by the dual cyclones Marcia and Lam and the forecasts for ongoing rain in Brisbane, the world cup match between host Australia and Bangladesh has taken a back seat. It will not be sure until few hours before the match whether we will have a full match, curtailed match or no match at all. As there is no reserve day for pool matches, if necessary, the match can still go ahead with a delayed start. In that case the number of overs would be reduced, subject to minimum of 20 overs to be played by each team. If that is not possible, then the match will be abandoned and points will be shared. Gabba has highly efficient drainage available, hence if it does not rain, the there is a possibility of match for sure, may be a reduced one.
Being Australia on the opposite side and with the kind of form they are in, Bangladesh would not mind one point from the match. With England struggling in the same group and New Zealand peaking up, one point will be definitely of importance to Bangladesh. This is not to suggest that Bangladesh cannot win the match, but the probability of Bangladesh winning is very less unless it is a curtailed match. A shorter version could go either way. On the other hand, after a thumping victory over England in their first game, Australia would not be happy with just one point.
Bangladesh though would be happy with one point but that would mean that they would be robbed of playing at Gabba. This is Bangladesh's first international match at a major Australian international ground and they would definitely like to plug the inexperience of playing on such surface.
Playing a curtailed match after it has started has its own challenges. To begin with, team selected would have been keeping in mind with 50 overs, but the same combination some time may not work. In addition to that if the interruptions are more, then the momentum is also broken. To add to that, with D/L coming into picture, the chasing team would find it very difficult to plan their chase. On the other hand, if the match is shortened even before the toss, at least the combination can be picked based on the number of overs each team would be playing. But since the clarity on length of the game would be known only closer to the start of the game, there could be some last minute change required in the combination.
It seems that Australia have already chosen their XI for the match and shared the news with the team but they have not announced it as they may have to change the combination in case the number of overs are reduced. But one thing is for sure that Michael Clarke will return to the side and George Bailey will make way for him. Pat Cummins may replace Josh Hazlewood.
Bangladesh too are likely to make changes to the line-up that beat Afghanistan. The conditions at Gabba are totally different from Manuka Oval. Bangladesh went in with 8 batsmen against Afghanistan but this time they may include an extra bowler. In that case the most probable batsmen who would be left out is Mominul.
Because of the recent batting debacles in the four practice matches, Bangladesh team management made quiet a few changes in the batting order during their match against Afghanistan like Mominul played way down the order, Mushfiqur also played lower that usual. Even that rejig did not work out. So they may return to their original plan.
Australia and Bangladesh have not met each other in the 50-over contest since April 2011, so a game whatever be the duration of it would be welcome.
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