Dubai: A turbulent recent cricketing past has made it imperative for India to put forth a resonant effort in the Champions Trophy. Their opening match against a tricky Bangladesh on Thursday will serve as the first test in addressing a set of existential questions surrounding the team.

These questions are pressing even for a pre-tournament favorite like India. Can this Indian bowling unit cope with the absence of injured pace leader Jasprit Bumrah? Can Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rediscover their glory days? Can young players like Shubman Gill handle the pressure of a multi-nation competition and deliver consistently?

In this context, the ICC showpiece is a godsend because ODIs are the comfort zone for the Indian icons and rising stars in the lineup, and they will genuinely be aiming for a strong performance here. It is crucial that they do so, both from a team and an individual perspective.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Kohli, Rohit, and even head coach Gautam Gambhir, though only six months into his tenure, are living on borrowed time. The shockwaves from setbacks against New Zealand and Australia have yet to subside.

There are some bright signs, though. Skipper Rohit made a century a few days ago against England, while Kohli scored a fifty. Gambhir has also masterminded dominant victories, with 4-1 and 3-0 results in T20Is and ODIs, respectively. Gill was exceptional, emerging as the player of the series, cracking two fifties and a hundred in three ODIs against England.

However, the challenge India faces in the Champions Trophy is far more daunting than a home series. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand—India's opponents in Group A—are more motivated than the seemingly disinterested England team India faced recently. Even one defeat could dramatically alter the equation in the league stage.

Selection Riddles

Although India has been playing strong 50-over cricket recently, they have some selection riddles to solve before facing Bangladesh.

It begins with KL Rahul's batting position. Will he bat at No. 5, his most productive slot, or at No. 6, with Axar Patel coming one place above him? Rahul had batted at No. 6 in the first two matches against England before moving back to No. 5 for the final ODI. In all likelihood, the team management will remain flexible and make a decision based on the match situation.

However, finding the right balance in bowling poses a bigger challenge, especially due to the injury-enforced absence of Bumrah. It will be a toss-up between Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana as the new-ball partner to lead pacer Mohammed Shami, who will need to elevate his game for this challenge.

Rana has impressed so far in his outings, possessing the ability to hustle batters with sheer pace and bounce, even on the most docile pitches. But, at this moment, Arshdeep is the frontrunner for the new-ball duties due to his left-arm angle and the variety he brings to his bowling.

Other than that, India is likely to opt for three spinners, with Hardik Pandya serving as the fast-bowling all-rounder. However, the team will need to decide who the third spinner will be behind the primary choices of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy are the contenders. Based on recent form, mystery spinner Chakravarthy may get the nod, but Kuldeep showed his readiness by outwitting several reputed batters in the nets on Tuesday.

India can take some comfort in the fact that Bangladesh is going through turmoil of its own, weakened by the absence of stars like Shakib Al Hasan. However, India will not want to leave anything to chance, as Bangladesh has proven to be a potential stumbling block for them in past global events.

Teams (from):

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.

Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

The match starts at 2:30 pm IST. | PTI