Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Bangladesh have now gone 18 games across formats without a win against New Zealand in New Zealand.
They have suffered eight series losses as a result, and are in danger of succumbing to their eighth straight series whitewash, reports cricbuzz.com.
In the past month, two series have been lost.
International cricket outside of the staunchly partisan Shere Bangla Stadium can be a chastening ordeal, as Mashrafe Mortaza’s proficient team have harshly learnt on this tour.
The visitors have already been clean swept in the ODI series, and unless they can brush off their travel blues quickly enough, a T20I whitewash looms large.
Sterner tests with the red-ball await Bangladesh following Sunday’s (January 8) third T20I at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui and Bangladesh, the proud limited-overs cricketing nation they’ve grown to become, could do with an ego massage.
The dead rubber clash, therefore, has enough riders for the visitors besides their perennial search for a maiden victory over New Zealand in the T20 format – now without a win in six games.
As with most subcontinent sides visiting this part of the world, Bangladesh’s woes have their epicentre in the batting.
On more than one occasion in the series, Mortaza has rued his team’s inability to kick on from starts or cash in on a partnership.
Even in Friday’s defeat in the second T20I, after a rapid 68-run stand between Sabbir Rahman and Soumya Sarkar, Bangladesh’s batsmen lost their way, with the last seven wickets falling for a mere addition of 44 runs.
New Zealand, meanwhile, are purring along nicely in the summer, despite the Chappell-Hadlee series reverse last month.
In stark contrast to Bangladesh’s troubles, Colin Munro’s devastating 52-ball hundred in the last game served to underscore the hosts’ batting superiority in these conditions.
That the bowlers were able to bowl the visitors out under 20 overs was an indication that the bowling and fielding departments remain in good health, too.
Sunday’s (January 8) clash, however, offers New Zealand an opportunity to test its bench strength with a hectic schedule of limited-overs cricket in the first half of 2017, running all the way up to the Champions Trophy in England.
Another series sweep along the way will be a nice little milestone to check before they march ahead to bigger challenges.
WHEN: New Zealand vs Bangladesh, 3rd T20I, January 8, 2017 – 02:00 GMT, 07:30 IST
WHERE: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
WHAT TO EXPECT: Bright and sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.
There’s a 5% chance of a drizzle accompanied by strong winds, none of which are likely to affect the game.
The pitch, like on Friday, is expected to play slightly on the slower side but won’t affect strokeplay.
TEAM NEWS:
NEW ZEALAND
The hosts will have atleast one injury-enforced change with Luke Ronchi ruled out with a groin strain.
Tom Bruce, who scored a quickfire 59 in the second game, filled in as a make-shift keeper.
But New Zealand have called up Wellington keeper-batsman, Tom Blundell, who’ll join the squad after Saturday’s Super Smash T20 final.
George Worker, who was brought in to replace Neil Broom, is likely to be given a go at the top of the order.
SQUAD:
Kane Williamson(c), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ben Wheeler, Tom Bruce, Tom Blundell, George Worker
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh will consider throwing in fresh faces for the dead-rubber clash, a move that’ll also give the Test regulars a breather before the more critical two-Test series.
One of Shuvagata Hom or Taijul Islam could stand to benefit from such a call by Mortaza and the team management.
SQUAD:
Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shuvagata Hom, Taijul Islam, Nurul Hasan, Subashis Roy
WHAT THEY SAID
“He [Sarkar] is back in runs after some time, so he must also be feeling better.
But he lost an opportunity to make a big score.
It would have helped us because he was playing their pace well.”
– Mashrafe Mortaza has high expectations of southpaw, Soumya Sarkar, who scored his first 30+ score in international cricket since March 2016.
BBN/MS/SK