Tamim relishes India challenge

It may not be extra special for him, but a contest between Tamim Iqbal and India has always held a special place in the hearts of fans.

As a youngster, he stormed onto the international scene by dancing down the track and hitting Zaheer Khan for a massive six in the 2007 World Cup -- a moment that a few in the Indian cricket community still talk about judging by the questions posed by certain Indian journalists. It was an innings that created one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history as India exited the group stage and Bangladesh made it through to the next stage. For many, that was one of the moments that ushered in a braver Bangladesh cricket team.

And he did not stop there. His record suggests that he enjoys playing against the Indians.

He has six half-centuries against them in 16 ODIs and also averages above 50 against India in Test cricket. The left-hander, who averages 20 in T20Is, however, has a lot to prove in this format and many believe that the Asia Cup final could be the perfect setting for that objective.

“When you play against a side that is so compact and strong in every unit, you automatically want to perform well. It's a different feeling,” Tamim explained while speaking to reporters at Mirpur yesterday.

The left-hander, who cut short his paternity leave and made a sudden return to the team due to Mustafizur Rahman's injury, did not make the best of starts against Pakistan. He admitted that he was a 'bit nervous' playing that match considering that he had just joined and hadn't been playing cricket for nearly two weeks.

Prior to that though, he excelled in the Pakistan Super League in February and was one of the game-changers of his team there.

“When your form is good, you are confident and your mentality is good as well. I have done well in the past but day after tomorrow (Sunday) will be a new day. I have to start from zero. The first few balls will be important for me,” said Tamim.

“Because I will be opening the innings, it will be my duty to give my team a good start. It has been a difficult tournament for the openers; early wickets have fallen, so we are going to try hard.

GO GET 'EM: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has somewhat rediscovered his form with the bat recently, but the left-hander will face a huge challenge against India in the final tomorrow. Here, he receives instructions from coach Chadika Hathurusingha on how to navigate those waters. PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

“We will try to enjoy our batting and play our shots. If we can bat first and put on a decent total, anything can happen, because our bowlers have been brilliant,” he added.

The ODI series victory against India in 2015 will inspire the team ahead of the final according to Tamim.

“Good memories help for sure. What we believe is that no matter how strong a team is, if we work and focus on our own skills, we can beat any team and that' is what we proved last year in the ODIs. If we can minimise our mistakes, it will be a good final,” he said.

According to the left-hander, it takes just two overs to change the momentum in a T20 game.

“If you score 15 runs in each of the overs, or take two wickets in each over, the game changes. The team that gets those two overs right, will win the match. So anybody can hold the key,” reckoned Tamim.