Time to shed 'minnows' tag

Ever since Bangladesh set the  March 19 quarterfinal date with India at the MCG, the topic that did the rounds most was whether the Tigers would be able to floor Mahendra Singh Dhoni's juggernauts that have so far lived up to a popular Indian slogan "We won't give it back" understandably as a reference to their tag as defending champions.

The whole nation is now riding on euphoria after the Tigers' impressive group stage campaign that included a magnificent victory over England and a near-miss against co-hosts New Zealand. And it seems it can't wait for the MCG showdown.

And in these emotional times it's always a professional hassle you are destined to confront if you are a sports editor of a newspaper because it's your time to answer questions ranging from ifs and buts, naive and odd and then the obvious -- a formula of how to win the match in question.

But then again, being a self-proclaimed expert, you will have to satisfy them with logic. So, is their any rationale behind the notion for Bangladesh to win against India come the D-day tomorrow? Let's first focus on what experts around the world forecast as the conclusion of this 'uneven' battle.

'They have done their best. So, it's time for the minnows of Bangladesh to rest on their laurels. India should think beyond it,' might be the rudest of remarks.

India should not be complacent and must be alert of any banana-peels, may conclude another expert.

Bangladesh should take inspiration from their famous World Cup win against India in 2007 to plot another upset, may quip perhaps another expert, who is preferably an anti-Indian.

If we go by statistics, India, who won their last six games with ease, are supposed to win at a canter.

But let's reflect on what Bangladesh have done in their last five games so far. They have lost against Sri Lanka badly. But other than that they were the team that loved to overcome adversity, the adversity of establishing their very existence as a Test nation against Afghanistan and Scotland, the challenge of overcoming being in the shadows of the big names against England, and against New Zealand in their own den.

To be honest that has hardly enabled them to remove the 'minnows' tag they have been associated with them in every win or in every defeat.

And if you ask me, my first and only appeal to an impressive brand of Tigers, who are fearless while taking the attack to the opponents, that it's about time they played to shrug off that minnows tag, for it is more than just winning or losing a game.