India National Cricket Team vs Bangladesh National Cricket Team Timeline: Cricket, as they say, is a religion in the Indian subcontinent, and not only a sport. The tussle between the India National Cricket Team and Bangladesh National Cricket Team has grown with time, gradually in terms of both intensity and significance. While India has been world cricket’s powerhouse for years now, Bangladesh has emerged from being underdogs into formidable opponents. This article traces the journey of the cricketing rivalry of these two teams since inception to present times and outlines key matches, turning points, and moments of historical significance.
Early Encounters: The Emergence of a Rivalry (1980s – 1990s)
The Indo-Bangladeshi cricketing rivalry goes back to the late 1980s. However, for the first time in international cricket, they faced each other during the 1988 Asia Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh. For the very first time in its emergence as a cricketing nation, Bangladesh was going to face an established team full of several cricketing stalwarts.
First Encounter: 1988 Asia Cup, India thrashed Bangladesh by 9 wickets. The gulf in experience was quite apparent, with the Indian legends Mohammad Azharuddin, Ravi Shastri, and Kapil Dev leading the side. Bangladesh were still finding their feet in international cricket.
It would be some time in the late 1980s into the 1990s that Bangladesh continued to play in regional competitions such as the Asia Cup but were still awaiting Test status. India, on the other hand, was an established force both in Tests and ODIs with talents like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath.
Bangladesh Gets Test Status: A New Era Dawns (2000)
Bangladesh was given their Test status by the ICC in the year 2000. A day to remember in the history of Bangladesh cricket got them their first test match against none other than India at Dhaka.
First Test Match: Naimur Rahman-led Bangladeshi team played their first Test match against India in November 2000. Although Bangladesh began on a high note, Aminul Islam scoring a century in this inaugural test, India went on to win it comfortably with nine wickets still in hand. The then India, led by Sourav Ganguly was simply too powerful for Bangladesh. Yet, the match marked Bangladesh’s entry into the longer format of the game.
This was far more than a game for India – more of a moment of duty as they ushered in Bangladesh into the select fold of Test-playing nations.
Growing Competition: The 2000s and Early 2010s
Over time, Bangladesh developed gradually, gained experience and brought in young talent. In the middle of the 2000s, the gulf between the two sides was still huge but had started to narrow down. Bangladesh was more aggressive, more exciting, particularly in the ODIs.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2007: Amongst the most significant milestones of the India-Bangladesh rivalry comes the match between the two teams during the 2007 World Cup. Then there was the huge upset that Bangladesh created in the very first round of the tournament when they beat India. In fact, it was actually a victory that sent India out of the tournament and also came as a coming-of-age moment for Bangladesh cricket. There were all-round contributions from Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mashrafe Mortaza that helped Bangladesh pull off this historic win. That defeat for India meant soul-searching, and that defeat actually signaled the end of Rahul Dravid as captain.
Since then, Bangladesh started believing in competing with the big ones, and India started respecting them as an opponent.
The Rise of Bangladesh: A True Contender (2015 – Present)
By the mid-2010s, Bangladesh had started getting metamorphosed into a seriously competitive team, especially in the ODI format. They started giving the top-tier teams a run for their money and some top-class victories against several giants of cricket.
2015 ICC Cricket World Cup: Bangladesh was again in the headlines as they defeated England and qualified into the quarterfinals of the tournament. The quarterfinals brought them against India, a team in tremendous form. Bangladesh lost the match after a spirited effort but their journey into the quarterfinals described their growth.
2015 ODI Series: Following the World Cup, India toured Bangladesh for three-match ODI series. Bangladesh sent jitters into India as they won the first couple of matches thus winning a bilateral series against India for the very first time. Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman had a dream debut with five-wicket hauls in each of the two opening games. The series victory was new high point for Bangladesh cricket and underlined a growing rivalry between the two nations.
Memorable Matches and Turning Points
Most of the matches between India and Bangladesh remain fresh in memory because many of the contests went to the full distance. Some of these are:
Asia Cup Final, 2016: Yet another rain-affected T20 Asia Cup final saw the likes of India and Bangladesh pitted against each other in a winner-takes-all affair. With a good total that Bangladesh had compiled, the run chase was never out of control as India won a comfortable victory. This underlined Bangladesh’s fighting spirit, their rise in the shorter formats of the game.
2018 Nidahas Trophy Final: The final of the Nidahas Trophy between India and Bangladesh is considered one of the most thrilling T20 matches in recent times. In a nail-biting finish, Dinesh Karthik scored 29 runs off 8 balls, with a six on the last ball, to seal the deal in favor of India. Bangladesh was heartbroken but won hearts with their stellar performance throughout the tournament.
2019 ICC Cricket World Cup: It was the group stages of the 2019 World Cup where the two teams clashed between India and Bangladesh. Though India won that game, Bangladesh put up a great fight, and Shakib Al Hasan played an innings of a lifetime with a brilliant century in that match. Though that match was important for India’s qualification into the semi-finals, at the same time, it proved how well Bangladesh were performing in global tournaments.
Rivalry Present and Future
The rivalry between India and Bangladesh just kept evolving into the 2020s, with their team slowly but surely blossoming into an all-round team with such talents as Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mustafizur Rahman leading the charge. On the other side, India, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, were one of the best teams around the world, blending experience with youngsters like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah.
It has also overspilled from the players onto the fans, and even fans have something at stake in the rivalry. The love for the game in both countries knows no bounds, and every India-Bangladesh match is watched with huge anticipation and a fervor that only this neighboring nation can generate. Even the media often hypes up the encounters, further adding to the intensity and pressure on both teams.
Key Factors Shaping the Rivalry
Fan Rivalry: Usually, the passion of the fans from both countries raises the ante when either India or Bangladesh competes against one another. Interactions over social media, memes, and online debates are some of the things that have added to the increasing level of ferocity of this rivalry. A fine example of this was seen when both the teams met at the 2016 World T20, where an exciting last-over win by India was seen amidst stirring fan emotions.
Bangladesh’s Rise as a Cricketing Nation: What used to be a no-contest in the 1980s and 1990s has evolved into a more even contest in the recent past, especially in limited-overs cricket. For all its good form, Bangladesh has brought fresh dimensions to the rivalry.
Major ICC Tournament Clashes: India and Bangladesh have been quite regular opponents in all major ICC tournaments. Their clashes in the 2007 and 2019 World Cups, along with Asia Cup and Champions Trophy matches, have given plenty of memories to fans. The rivalry between the two nations gets weight from major ICC tournament clashes.
Conclusion
From small beginnings to the competitive and high-stakes games of today, the rivalry between Indian and Bangladesh cricket has grown tremendously. If India has more often than not been ahead, in recent times, it is almost matched by the rapid rise of Bangladesh to give completely new dimensions to the contest.
The future of this rivalry is going to be really bright with both the teams having a mix of seasoned veterans and budding stars. Be it ODIs, T20s, or Test matches, games between India and Bangladesh do assure the audience about high-class cricket and pulsating moments in times to come. From one-sided matches to nail-biting finishes, this journey has raised not only the level of rivalry but also enriched the cricket culture between both nations.
Also read: ICC World Cup Winners List 1975 to 2019: The Chronological Legacy of Cricketing Glory