ASIA CUP, 2025
Bangladesh are on an upsurge after beating Sri Lanka © AFP
Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons declared on Tuesday that any team has the potential to defeat India as his side prepares to face the tournament favorites in their Super Four clash of the ongoing Asia Cup T20.
While India remains unbeaten in the tournament, Bangladesh appeared to be hitting their stride at the perfect moment, following a commanding six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. The team is looking to carry this momentum into their crucial encounter.
“Every team has the ability to beat India. The game is played on the day-it’s not about what India has done before, but what happens on Wednesday during that three-and-a-half-hour period,” Simmons explained.
“We will try to play our best cricket and hope to force errors from India. That’s how we win games,” he added.
Embracing the occasion
Simmons acknowledged the inevitable excitement surrounding matches involving India, the world’s top-ranked T20 team.
“Every game has hype, especially those involving India, because they’re the number one T20 team globally. We’re going to ride that wave, enjoy the moment, and savor the game. That’s our approach-to enjoy ourselves and therefore deliver our best performance.”
The typically composed coach, who has maintained his measured demeanor throughout the tournament, emphasized the importance of keeping his players grounded.
“I try to control my emotions as much as possible. We’re not here just to beat Sri Lanka-we’re here to win the tournament. Until we’re either eliminated or have won it all, I need to keep my emotions in check and ensure everyone in the dressing room stays focused,” Simmons stated.
Pitch conditions and scheduling challenges
Regarding the Dubai venue, Simmons believes the toss will have minimal impact on the match outcome due to the quality of the pitch.
“I didn’t notice much difference in the wicket over 40 overs. These are some of the best pitches I’ve seen here in quite some time,” he observed. “The surface was excellent for batting, which meant bowlers had to execute properly. I don’t think the toss carries much significance.”
However, Simmons expressed concern about the demanding schedule, with Bangladesh set to face India and Pakistan on consecutive days (September 24 and 25).
“Playing back-to-back T20 matches, or ODIs for that matter, is extremely challenging. It’s not ideal, but we’ve prepared thoroughly and trained hard. I believe our players are fit enough to handle consecutive games. Still, it’s not fair to ask any team to play back-to-back T20s. It’s far more difficult than people realize,” he concluded.
© Cricbuzz
