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Tigers look to prey on the Lions

Ireland record second successive win

BISHWAJIT ROY from Melbourne
In February 2014, a bizarre defeat against Sri Lanka at Mirpur saw Bangladesh step into one of their worst ODI runs ever. The Tigers lost that game despite reducing the Lankans to 67 for 8. The effect of that game was evident; Bangladesh lost their next eleven ODIs that year.
A year on and the Tigers have received an opportunity to set things right at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground today.
None of those defeats last year would matter an inch if Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and company can ace this challenge and take one step into the quarterfinals; and for that, rest assured, they will have to play out of their skins.
The good news for Bangladesh is that their inform batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who had hurt his right thumb during training recently batted in the nets yesterday and is fit to play the game. The Lankans on the other hand will hope that they can get a good replacement for Jeevan Mendis who is out of the World Cup due to a hamstring injury.
Bangladesh's head-to-head record against the Lankan Lions isn't anything to speak about. They have won just four out of the 37 encounters. In addition, the Lankans have witnessed six wins at the MCG and have spent several good moments here.
Their recent form however has been a worry. From losing the series to New Zealand and getting thumped by them in the first match of the World Cup, to painstakingly edging out Afghanistan, there are plenty of areas for them to work on.
The jittery state is exactly what the Tigers are hoping to use in their favour.
However, Bangladesh themselves have a number of issues to contend with. For one, their top-order batting needs to be sorted out. Both India and Australia have posted 300-plus totals here and that seems to be the par score in this World Cup.
There's also the case of playing at the MCG for the first time. This will be
the first premier venue in Australia that the Tigers will be playing in and it won't be a surprise if some of the players make nervous beginnings.
The Tigers however are expected to receive ample support at the stadium, which boasts a 90,000-plus seating arrangement. While there are more Sri Lankans in the city as compared to Bangladeshis, fans are hopping in from every corner.
"I have heard that a lot of Bangladeshi supporters are coming in from Sydney as well. It will be nice to play in front of such a huge crowd. Hopefully we can make them happy," a confident Mashrafe said at the prematch press conference yesterday.
When asked about the run of defeats in 2014, players and management often pointed towards that one defeat against Sri Lanka. Many of them believed that that defeat initiated a chain reaction.
At the MCG today, the players have the opportunity to wipe that nightmare out once and for all. The stage has been set; all that is required now is for the actors to put in the performances of their lives.
Meanwhile, Gary Wilson and Kevin O'Brien struck brisk half-centuries as Ireland held their nerve to clinch a thrilling two-wicket victory in their Pool B match against United Arab Emirates in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Wilson hit 80 off 69 balls while allrounder O'Brien smashed 50 off 25 to help Ireland overwhelm UAE's total of 278 for 9 with four balls to spare for their second consecutive win of the tournament.