 An upset at Mirpur in the first match where Bengal tigers outdid the Kiwis by
nine runs (D/L method) has only ripened up the second encounter between the two
teams in Dhaka scheduled on 8th October. It was a combination of tight bowling,
good fielding and a Shakib ul Hasan special that earned Bangladesh victory.
He knocked a swift half century and took four wickets to set up the win.
Click for Live Score Card of Bangladesh Vs New ZealandA talented team of youngsters capable of producing upsets seldom. Bangladesh's
image in recent times has been hurt by the rise and decent performances of teams
like Ireland, Afghanistan and Netherlands. Even the talks of taking their test
status away have started.
The victory on Tuesday again New Zealand could bring about a welcome
change. Bangladesh have beaten teams like Pakistan, India and even Australia
in the past only to see themselves failing to build on it.
Daniel Vettori the NZ captain in identifying Shakib ul Hasan as a potential
threat did his intelligence a justice, but even this foresight couldn't help
his side escape an embarrassing defeat. Bangladesh captain who twisted an ankle
in the start of the game and sat the rest of it out will hopefully play. Bangladesh
might still miss the opener Tamim Iqbal who will not play a part in the series
due to wrist injury.
Bangladesh recent form has been unpredictable with them winning two out of
five matches. The worrisome thing is losses to Netherlands and Ireland.
New Zealand are arguably the most inconsistent team in world cricket. They
look elegant when they are playing to their potential but when they are bad
they are horrid. Which one is it going to be on 8th October is hard to predict.
New Zealand however can take away some positives from this game; their bowling
was good and didn't allow the Bangladesh batsmen any room to breathe, Brendon McCullum, their key opening batsman's form continues to be good as he cracked
61 off 45 deliveries.
Daniel Vettori admitted that his side will need to pick themselves up
for the second ODI. New Zealand captain cautioned his team of complacency before
the series started, and we know now that he was not wrong.
New Zealand's form has been disappointing; they have won only one for their
last five games with three losses and one no result.
Whatever happens, a fascinating encounter awaits us. Kiwis would look to bounce
back while Tigers would like to give their home crowd another treat.
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