India vs Bangladesh, Champions Trophy Preview: Big Selection Headaches For Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir

A turbulent recent cricketing past has made a resonant effort mandatory for India in the Champions Trophy, and their opening match against a tricky Bangladesh here on Thursday will be the first point in assuaging a set of existential questions surrounding this team. They are vexing even for a pre-tournament favourite like India. Can this Indian bowling unit tide over the absence of injured pace talisman Jasprit Bumrah? Can Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma summon their glory days back? Can young names like Shubman Gill ace the pressure of a multi-nation competition to deliver consistently? In that context, the ICC showpiece is a godsend because ODI is the comfort zone of those icons and young tyros in this Indian line-up, and they will be genuinely eyeing a strong outing here.

It's imperative that they do so -- from a team and individual perspective.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Kohli, Rohit and even head coach Gautam Gambhir, although only six months into his tenure, are living on borrowed time because the shockwaves created by the setbacks against New Zealand and Australia have not subsided yet.

Some bright signs are there though. Skipper Rohit made a century a few days back against England and Kohli a fifty, while Gambhir masterminded the dominant 4-1 and 3-0 victories in T20Is and ODIs respectively.

Gill was exceptional while emerging as the player of the series, cracking two fifties and a hundred in three ODIs against England.

But the challenge India face in the Champions Trophy is vastly different from a rather cosy home series.

Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand, their opponents in Group A, are far more motivated than the seemingly disinterested England whom they faced recently, and even one defeat can