Despite being in a strong position in the second innings, Bangladesh lost the opening match of the T20I series against Pakistan. The visitors were able to seal the match in the last over thanks to valiant efforts by Pakistan's lower middle order. Pakistan's performance in the match was sloppy, but Bangladesh's young team fought hard to the end. The second match of the series will be held on Saturday (November 20) at the same venue. The match will start at 2 p.m. Let’s take a look at the second match preview of BAN vs PAK T20I Series 2021.
Team News
Below is the squad news for both the Bangladesh and Pakistan teams.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh had both positives and negatives in the series opener. Fielding is one of the positives. Their fielding was outstanding in the opening match. All of the players were jubilant after taking four wickets in the power play. This is a positive sign since in the T20 format outstanding fielding could win games.
Batting performances from Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan, and Mahedi Hasan were encouraging. They must maintain their momentum in the second meeting. Mahedi has been outstanding with the ball this year. He appears to be a competent player in the T20 format.
READ: Mahmudullah blames top-order batting after defeat to Pakistan
Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman both took wickets, but they were expensive in the death overs. These two bowlers must come up with a superior arsenal in the do-or-die contest. Particularly, checking the run flow should be their top priority.
Bangladesh's top three batters failed to deliver in the previous match. They appeared to have no idea how to deal with Pakistan's front-line bowlers. Coaches must advise them on how to approach the T20 format. One of the top-order batsmen should have to bat deep for a challenging total. The other two players should concentrate on increasing the run rates.
All of the players are injury-free and ready to play. Though, no changes are expected for the second match.
Playing XI (probable)
Top-Order: Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Middle-Orders: Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Mahedi Hasan, Lower-Order: Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam
Pakistan
Team Pakistan appeared tired and uninspired after participating in the T20 World Cup 2021. Their ground fielding was poor, and the batters made some errors in the run chase. The Pakistan team is expected to be even more serious in the second encounter after a hard-fought triumph. So, the broad feeling is that Pakistan will play with more aggression on Saturday than they did on Friday.
Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, and Shadab Khan bowled brilliantly for Pakistan. However, Pakistan's top order struggled in this game. The good news is that the middle-order batted after a long time, and their effort helped the team win the match. Pakistan are expected to use the same playing XI in this contest.
Playing XI (probable)
Top-Order: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Fakhar Zaman, Middle-Orders: Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Lower-Order: Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim
Pitch Condition and Weather
Mirpur pitches have become even slower and more difficult to bat on in comparison to previous years. So, there is a slim possibility that the second match will be a run-fest. Whoever win the toss will be aiming for a total of around 150, since it is a winnable score. Dhaka's weather will remain mostly sunny on Saturday, making for an ideal day for a T20 cricket contest.
READ: Pakistan beat Bangladesh in low-scoring first T20I
Verdict
Pakistan will be even better in the second match, and they will aim to win the series with a game in hand. Therefore, Bangladesh's campaign should be aware of the potential of Pakistan attack and should come up with a strategy to improve their performance in the match. Having said that, this is a very young Bangladesh group, so expecting them to put in extraordinary performances would be completely unreasonable. However, they must continue to develop as a team, and the team management should find a suitable T20 combination.