Bangladesh take on Australia in the second ODI of the three-match series, which is being played between the teams at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Thursday, June 11. The home team have already taken a 1-0 lead in the series after a thumping victory over their visitors in the first match on Tuesday. They will be raring to go and aiming to win the second match. If Bangladesh win the second ODI, they will accumulate an unassailable lead in the series and will have won it comfortably. Top-order batters Najmul Hossain Shanto and Tanzid Hasan Tamim will play vital roles for the hosts.
Shanto was Bangladesh’s star player in the first ODI thanks to his 86-ball 67, which was complemented nicely by Tamim’s 54, which came off just 44 deliveries. However, the plaudits were stolen by Mosaddek Hossain, who remained unbeaten on 86 off just 70 deliveries. Hossain, who is on a comeback trail, struck seven boundaries and three sixes during his innings. Before the game, Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz had gone out of his way to justify Hossain’s selection into the team, and the latter repaid the faith put in him.
Australia’s batting order collapsed in the first ODI, and if the same happens on Thursday, they will concede the series. The likes of Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Marnus Labuschagne and Liam Scott all disappointed in the first game. It was left to Cameron Green to hit a half-century and salvage some pride for the visitors. On Thursday, the Aussies will have to regroup quickly and bat deep. Unless they manage to counter the threat of the Bangladeshi spinners, led by Miraz himself, they will be unable to pose any significant challenge.
Predicted Teams
BAN: Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Mosaddek Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed.
AUS: Matthew Short, Cooper Connolly, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (c), Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Liam Scott, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett.
Key Players
Mosaddek Hossain (BAN): All-rounder Mosaddek Hossain can prove to be Bangladesh’s biggest threat. While his greatest skill is with the ball, he can also prove to be a handy customer with the bat, as he showed in the first match. With the ball, Hossain is one of the best off-spinners to come out of Bangladesh. With his drift and variations in line, he becomes extremely hard to pick, especially on slow surfaces. He can also hit the ball a long way with the bat. Hossain is a good candidate to bat in the lower middle order.
Cameron Green (AUS): All-rounder Cameron Green was the sole Australian player who put up a fight in the first ODI. With the bat, Green has always been a trusted player, and his half-century was responsible for taking the game at least to a dignified end. Although he bowled just four overs on Tuesday, Green can be a good choice if captain Josh Inglis feels that the surface is two-paced. Green, who recently played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, has a lot of variations up his sleeve when bowling seam-up.
Match Prediction
Bangladesh have already taken a 1-0 lead in the series. They are high on confidence, and their morale has taken a huge boost as beating Australia is not an easy task. We expect Bangladesh to win the second match as well. There is a simple reason for this. Australia have brought an extremely inexperienced squad to this tour. Even their stand-in captain, Josh Inglis, needs some time to get used to leadership duties at the international level. In comparison, Bangladesh are a well-settled unit.
