The action now moves on to the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, after the second T20I between Bangladesh and New Zealand was washed out due to rain in Chattogram. These sides will now meet each other in the third and final match of the series, to be played on Saturday, May 2. Bangladesh defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the first game, and hence, came here with a 1-0 lead. Even if they lose this game, the series will be tied, and they will remain unbeaten. Bangladesh, however, will be looking for a win, since they also won the preceding ODI series by a 2-1 scoreline.
New Zealand’s inexperience has come to the fore on this tour, with most of their A-listers engaged in the Indian Premier League. In the first T20I, they put up a brave total of 182-6 on the board in their quota of 20 overs thanks to a fighting half-century from opener Katene Clarke (51), but it was of no use. The home team chased this total down inside 18 overs, with 12 balls to spare. Middle-order batter Towhid Hridoy was the star for the Bangladeshis with a well-crafted, unbeaten 51 off just 27 deliveries. The Kiwi spinners have to become more effective at adapting to this slowish surface if they intend to challenge Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Predicted Teams
BAN: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (wk/c), Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Ripon Mondol.
NZ: Tim Robinson, Katene Clarke, Dane Cleaver (wk), Nick Kelly (c), Bevon Jacobs, Dean Foxcroft, Josh Clarkson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Matthew Fisher, Ben Lister.
Key Players
Towhid Hridoy (BAN): Towhid Hridoy has emerged as one of the brightest stars for Bangladesh. He also promises to become the poster boy of white-ball batting in the country. Hridoy can hit the ball a long way, and he also has the sensibility to rotate the strike when the going gets tough. He is a dependable option in the lower middle order for Bangladesh. Hridoy has slowly grown to become one of the most trusted names in the country.
Ish Sodhi (NZ): If the Kiwis are to challenge the Bangla Tigers at all, Ish Sodhi will have to lead from the front, with the ball in hand. The leg-spinner is not new to these conditions, having played in the subcontinent plenty of times in the past. Sodhi is the most experienced bowler in New Zealand’s bowling unit, and he will be given the responsibility of handling the middle overs. He will have to work hard to prevent boundaries from being leaked.
Match Prediction
Bangladesh are the favourites here. They should win this match and then pocket the series comfortably. While New Zealand still have the likes of Ish Sodhi and Josh Clarkson in their bowling unit, their batting department looks bereft of any experience whatsoever. In these subcontinental conditions, where the ball tends to stay low as well as turn sporadically, experience matters a lot. Most Kiwi batters in this series are new to international cricket, and that has shown in their performances. Tom Latham, their sole experienced batter, is a doubtful starter due to a toe injury.
