Cricket
ENG vs. IND 2021: India Win Fourth Test at the Oval
India won the fourth Test against England by 157 runs at the Oval, taking a 2-1 series lead. India also have climbed to the top of the ICC Test Championship points table. The match was evenly poised till the final day. India eventually came out as a winner thanks to a tight bowling performance by the bowlers. Opener Rohit Sharma was the actual difference-maker in the contest. His magnificent century in the second innings helped India put up a huge total to defend. The fourth match report of the ENG vs. IND 2021 series has been discussed in this article.
ENG vs. IND 2021 Series: Fourth Test Match Report
India’s First Innings
England pacers took full advantage of the pitch after Captain Joe Root decided to bowl first at the Oval. England bowled India out for 191 runs in the third session of day 1.
Captain Virat Kohli scored 50 runs to help India pass the 100-run barrier. Shardul Thakur made 57 runs after his departure, assisting India in scoring close to 200 runs in their first innings. Chris Woakes got the most wickets with four, while Ollie Robinson took three.
READ: Right man, right decision, right time
England’s First Innings
England batsmen responded with 290 runs after doing well in the bowling department. As a result, England took a crucial 99-run lead in the first innings. After England's dismal start to the game (62/5), Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow put on a crucial 89-run stand for the sixth wicket. Chris Woakes (50) batted aggressively in the late middle order, helping England to a total of around 300.
Ollie Pope made the most runs for England with 81, while Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, and Dawid Malan all contributed significantly to the team. Fast bowler Umesh Yadav was India's most successful bowler. He got three wickets, while Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja both taking two.
Read Mushfiqur opts to quit wicket-keeping in T20Is: Domingo
India’s Second innings
India walked out to bat in the third session of day 2 with plenty of time on their hands to construct a massive score in their second innings. India batted for near six sessions and scored 466 runs in their innings.
Someone from the top order needed to bat for a long time in order to propel India's innings forward. Thankfully, India's opener Rohit Sharma came to the rescue with a patient 127-run knock.
READ: BAN vs. NZ 2021: Fourth Match Preview
Rohit stayed in the middle for 80 overs, forming two important partnerships with KL Rahul (46) and Cheteshwar Pujara (61). When India lost their top-order batsmen, they had 237 runs on the board. Later, Virat Kohli (44), Rishab Pant (50), and Shardul Thakur (60) contributed well with the bat, giving England a big target to chase on day 5.
Chris Woakes was England's most successful bowler, with three wickets. Moeen Ali and Ollie Robinson both had two wickets.
Read New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
England’s Chase
England got off to a great start in pursuit of a huge 368-run target. The openers put up a century partnership before England lost their first wicket in the first hour of session 1 on day 5. Rory Burns (50) and Haseeb Hameed (63) each scored fifty.
After their departures, England struggled to build partnerships and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Captain Joe Root (36) tried to rebuild the innings, but he was unable to find an ideal partner to carry the innings forward. England finally lost the match after being bowled out for 210 runs.
All of the Indian bowlers did a fantastic job of keeping the English batsmen under strain. Umesh Yadav got three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur each claimed two wickets for India.
Read Bangladesh require 129 to wrap up series vs New Zealand
Player of the Match
Rohit Sharma produced one of his finest Test innings in this match. India's position in the contest was reaffirmed thanks to his superb hundred. Rohit Sharma was named player of the match for this reason.
Verdict
India currently have the upper hand after winning the crucial fourth match in the ENG vs. IND Test series. India will not lose the series if England win the fifth Test, which begins on Friday (September 10).
Apart from winning the contest, Rohit Sharma's stunning century in the second innings was India's biggest outcome in the match. If Rohit Sharma had not delivered an exceptional innings, the outcome of the match could have been different.
England will need to win the final Test in order to level the series. Therefore, England will surely go all out against India right from the start in an attempt to seize control of the fifth match.
READ: ENG vs. IND 2021: English Openers Set Up Final Day Thriller Against India
Right man, right decision, right time
Mushfiqur Rahim's decision to give up the wicketkeeper's gloves in T20I cricket is the correct one in every sense, and should leave no room for speculation on emotional moorings.
If anything, a case could be made that he should have probably done it earlier, as other wicketkeeper-batsmen have done, in order to allow themselves to fulfil their potential as batsmen.
Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Andy Flower of Zimbabwe, two of the modern greats of batting, are the recent examples that spring to mind. Both made the move much earlier in their careers.
Although Mushy, as he is lovingly known to fans and teammates, has in fact tried this in some Test matches in the past, he has never been firm on seeing himself as a specialist batsman, and eventually gone back to keeping as well.
That perhaps is the difference this time. He has communicated the decision to coach Russell Domingo, and it was from the South African that we learned of his decision to leave the wicketkeeping job in T20Is.
Of course, having someone like Nurul Hasan Sohan ready and by now almost established to take over the job in the shortest format would have made a decision like this easier for everyone involved.
The decision to declare his intention to the coach may also have been prompted by the needless speculation arising in the media from Sohan donning the keeping gloves while both were in the playing XI during the first three games of the current T20I series versus New Zealand.
The speculation was needlessly spread as it should have been quite obvious that when both of them are playing, only Mushfiqur merits his place as a specialist batsman. While Sohan is indeed the slickest Bangladeshi behind the stumps right now (there is even a third option in Liton Das).
Mushfiq's decision can also help in grooming the 27-year-old Sohan as the country's number one wicketkeeper across all three formats eventually. Regular appearances in the T20I format can eventually help him to make the step up and establish himself in ODIs and Tests as well.
If that happens, Mushfiq, who is 34, might even manage to squeeze an extra couple of years into his career, before the time comes for him to retire.
The only justification for the surprise, almost shock, that has greeted the news of Mushy's decision, is that although this has been suggested before to allow him to blossom as a top-notch batsman in the No.4 position for Bangladesh (in whichever format), Mushfiq himself has been reluctant.
The first few times that he did it in Tests, the results were not as rewarding as had been hoped, and soon enough Mushfiq was back to keeping as well, determined to contribute as much as he can in as many ways as he can.
That has been the hallmark of his 16-year international career, during which Mushfiqur has kept wickets in 350 of his 391 international appearances across all three formats.
READ: BAN vs. NZ 2021: Fourth Match Preview
While playing as a specialist batsman didn't quite yield the desired results for Mushfiqur in Test cricket, it is a very different story in both the limited-overs formats, i.e. both 20/50 overs.
In both, Mushfiq’s batting average in the games where he has not kept wickets is already higher than his career average.
In 14 such ODIs, when he was not a keeper, Mushfiq's batting average of 49.18 comfortably outstrips a career average of 37.18.On the other hand, in seven T20Is that he played as a specialist batsman, Mushy has an average of 23.50— against a career batting average of 20.27 in T20Is.
Based on these indicators, Bangladesh cricket followers should be encouraged that the ndecision may indeed turn out to be a wise one.
The move has also possibly spared coach Domingo's blushes. As already stated, no Bangladeshi is as good and efficient (and even vocal, as the chatter picked up by the stump mic at the Sher-e- Bangla has shown) in the thankless wicketkeeper's job as Nurul Hasan Sohan right now.
Yet the shared wicketkeeping duties between him and Mushfiqur that Domingo suggested to the press before the New Zealand series, would potentially mean there would be a couple of games where Sohan would be picked as a specialist batsman.
It's difficult to see how that would've happened though, as Sohan simply doesn't merit selection in the playing XI unless he is keeping wickets. He has never yet shown the promise of a specialist batsman at international level.
"Initially, after speaking to Mushy, he was going to keep after the second game. But he told me he probably doesn’t want to keep the wickets in T20s anymore, so we have to move on,” Domingo said after the third match of the series against the visiting Kiwis.
So it had all worked out neatly for the team that selects the playing XI for each game, of which the coach is a part. Mushfiq's decision helped them avoid the potential selection debacle of Sohan playing as a specialist bat.
Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud Pilot, the man from whom Mushy inherited the Tigers' wicketkeeping job, rightfully dismissed all the talk about Mushy's dexcision being driven by emotion.“You have to make some crucial decisions for the sake of the team,” Mashud said in a video message posted on his social media profile.
“Many are saying that it’s an emotional decision by Mushfiq. I don't think so. For the bigger interest of the team, the coaches, and the captain, players often make such decisions. Everyone should welcome the change,” Mashud further said.He did add the caveat that if in fact it was an emotional decision on Mushfiqur's part, everything changes and the board must step in to remedy the situation.
Former captain Mohammad Ashraful in his reaction hit the nail on the head, saying the decision by Mushfiq to leave the wicketkeeping role is likely to improve his batting performance exponentially.
READ: Mushfiqur opts to quit wicket-keeping in T20Is: Domingo
“We will now expect more from Mushfiq as a batsman,” Ashraful said on his social media channel. “He was a specialist batsman when he got his maiden Test cap. Mushfiq left wicketkeeping in Tests for a while now. I think he will now be able to focus on his batting more and do well as a batsman.”Ashraful also welcomed the decision to give the glovework to Sohan, who he too considers Bangladesh’s best wicketkeeper.
BAN vs. NZ 2021: Fourth Match Preview
Bangladesh and New Zealand will play the fourth match of the five-match Twenty20 International series on Wednesday (September 8). Bangladesh comfortably won the series-opener on a surface that favored the spinners. However, the pitches were better in the previous two matches. New Zealand performed well on those surfaces and won the third one. The curator is set to make a similar pitch for the fourth encounter. Bangladesh's players will have to give it their best performance to win this T20I series against New Zealand. The fourth match preview of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 T20I series has been discussed in this article.
Read: Mushfiqur opts to quit wicket-keeping in T20Is: Domingo
Bangladesh’s Team News
Bangladesh openers comparatively have performed well in the series. Naim-Liton pair did manage to form a 50-plus partnership in the second match, which helped Bangladesh to put up a fighting score to defend. Skipper Mahmudullah Riyad played his part in the first two matches, while Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan both flopped in the previous match.
Senior players, as well as the middle order, must perform their roles properly if Bangladesh want to put pressure on New Zealand's bowling unit.
Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed are having a good series. They have made excellent use of the conditions and have consistently taken wickets for Bangladesh.
Read:New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
Shakib Al Hasan and Musafizur Rahman have contributed their part with the ball. Mustafizur Rahman has reached 200 T20 wickets, while Shakib Al Hasan is only two wickets away from being the T20I's leading wicket-taker.
Middle-order batsman Afif Hossain has struggled in this series. It's possible that Mosaddek Hossain/Soumya Sarkar will take his place in the fourth match. Apart from that, no more changes to the playing XI are anticipated.
Predicted XI (Bangladesh Team)
Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Afif Hossain/Mosaddek Hossain/Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed
New Zealand’s Team News
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham has been a revelation in this series after making his T20 return. He has played a couple of praiseworthy innings in this series. Aside from him, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, and the top order all batted well in the previous encounter. They will have to do a better job in the next game.
Read:Bangladesh require 129 to wrap up series vs New Zealand
New Zealand spinners have outperformed Bangladesh spinners in the series. Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, and Cole McConchie have caused a lot of difficulties to Bangladesh batters. Bangladesh batsmen need to be cautious and sensible against them. New Zealand could stick with the same playing lineup as in the third game.
Predicted XI (New Zealand Team)
Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Tom Latham (captain & wicket-keeper), Colin de Grandhomme, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Cole McConchie, Doug Bracewell, Ajaz Patel, Hamish Bennett, Matt Henry
Pitch and Weather Report
The surface of the fourth match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 T20I series will benefit slower bowlers. However, batters who spend time in the middle can find a way to score. The weather in Dhaka will most likely be partly overcast in the afternoon on Wednesday (September 8), but there is no chance of rain. The New Zealand team has already acclimated to the conditions and they are poised to cause another upset against the host team.
Read: New Zealand opt to bat first against Bangladesh in 3rd T20I
Bottom Line
New Zealand will try heart and soul to level the series after a great effort in the do-or-die third match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. The Blackcaps will go all out to beat the tigers in the fourth match to stay remain in the series. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will have a great chance to win a bilateral T20I series for the first time against New Zealand. They can win the series against the Kiwis with one game in hand if the players are able to keep their composure during the contest. Overall, cricket fans anticipate an exciting encounter between Bangladesh and New Zealand.
ENG vs. IND 2021: English Openers Set Up Final Day Thriller Against India
The fourth match in the ongoing ENG vs. IND 2021 series is crucial for both sides in order to clinch the bilateral Test series. England and India have won one match apiece in the series. Both teams are eager to win the fourth Test, and the match has been a slugfest thus far. India set a challenging task for England after some strong efforts by the Indian batsmen in the third innings. The game is now nicely balanced thanks to an unbeaten partnership between the English openers. Let's anticipate what could happen in the fourth match of the Test series.
4th Test of ENG vs. IND 2021 Series: Probable Outcomes
England Win
England are in a strong position, needing only 291 runs to win the match with 10 wickets remaining. English openers Rory Burns (31*) and Haseeb Hameed (43*) finished the day-4 with an unbeaten 77* run stand. They batted for 32 overs on the fourth day and had a little problem negotiating with the Indian bowlers.
England's main goal on day 5 will be to finish the opening session without losing any wickets. They will undoubtedly be the hot favorites to win the fourth Test of the ENG vs. IND 2021 series if they can score more than 100 runs in the opening session while keeping as many wickets as possible.
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
Captain Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, and Chris Woakes will be key in the chase for England. Their performances with the bat may decide the game.
India Win
India are still very much in it despite England's strong position in the game. Indian bowlers have a huge task ahead of them in the opening session of Day 5. They need to take two or three quick wickets in the opening session to put pressure on the English batsmen.
England will be under so much pressure if India can take a few wickets in the opening session. England will play for a draw if the hosts lose wickets in the first two sessions. Therefore, it is crucial for Team India to take wickets at regular intervals.
Also read: Tigers eye to seal series against Kiwis on Sunday
However, we often witness innings fall apart in a session and a match takes a dramatic U-turn. So, we can't rule out such a scenario, particularly in the second or third session. If this occurs, the Indian campaign will certainly be ecstatic.
Draw
If England continue to lose wickets in the opening session, they may have to slow down to save the match. The Indian bowlers will then go all out to upset England. In such a situation, we may see English batters battling it out in the middle to carry the Test match tied.
However, we must consider the fact that drawing a Test match is tough due to the nature of the pitches in England. The bowlers will have a clear advantage on day-5 in swinging the ball. The surface would definitely favor Indian bowlers if they could maintain good line and length. England batsmen must work hard to survive on the pitch.
Read Mushfiqur opts to quit wicket-keeping in T20Is: Domingo
Scorecard
India (1st Innings): 191 (Virat Kohli 50, Shardul Thakur 57; Chris Woakes 4/55, Ollie Robinson 3/38)
England (1st Innings):290 (Ollie Pope 81, Chris Woakes 50; Umesh Yadav 3/76, Ravindra Jadeja 2/36)
India (2nd Innings):466 (Rohit Sharma 127, Cheteshwar Pujara61; Chris Woakes 3/83, Ollie Robinson 2/105)
England's Target
England (2nd Innings): 77/0 (Rory Burns 31*, Haseeb Hameed 43*)
Read New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
Verdict
The fourth match of the ENG vs. IND 2021 Test series is now equally balanced because of the outstanding performances by the players from both teams. India's campaign was confident after amassing a big total in the third innings. England, on the other hand, bounced back well in the third session of day four, and they will go into day five with a lot of confidence. The winner of the match will be ranked first in the ICC Test Championship points standings. We can expect a fascinating contest on the fifth day of the fourth Test.
Mushfiqur opts to quit wicket-keeping in T20Is: Domingo
Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo has said that Mushfqiur Rahim is no longer interested in keeping the wickets in T20Is.
As per the initial plan of the Bangladesh team, Mushfiqur was set to keep the wickets in the third and fourth T20Is in the ongoing series against New Zealand.
But spectators were surprised to see Nurul Hasan keeping the wicket in the third match instead of Mushfiqur.
“There has been a change. Initially, after speaking to Mushy, he was going to keep after the second game. But he told me he probably doesn’t want to keep wickets in T20s anymore, so we have to move on,” Domingo said on Sunday after the third match that Bangladesh lost by 52 runs.
“I don’t think Mushfiq’s desire to stand behind the wickets in this format is great anymore. We have to focus on Sohan, and possibly let him do those duties going into the competition,” the Bangladesh head coach added.
Read: New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
Mushfiqur has been under scrutiny for while due to his wicket-keeping lapses over the last few years. He was advised by the coaches to give up the keeping and focus more on his batting.
But Mushfiqur has always been reluctant to leave wicket keeping. He instead has been saying that wicket-keeping helps him understand the wicket better and bat well.
Back in 2005, Mushfiqur had been added to the Bangladesh team as a specialist batsman.
But after the retirement of Khaled Mashud the then number one wicketkeeper of Bangladesh, Mushfiqur put on the gloves. He left the wicket-keeping in Tests for a while now. It is Liton Das, who replaced Mushfiuqr as the wicketkeeper in Tests.
As a fielder in the outfield, Mushfiqur has been doing well in the ongoing series. He grabbed four catches in three matches so far.
New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
New Zealand bounced back strongly beating the hosts Bangladesh by 52 runs on Sunday in the third match of the five-match T20I series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh won the first two matches of the series, and they had a good chance to wrap up the series with two matches to play. But yet another poor batting performance handed the Kiwis a big victory and stay alive in the series.
New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted a challenging total of 128 on the tricky Dhaka surface thanks to the 66-run stand in the sixth wicket by Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell.
In reply, the hosts tumbled for 76, their second-lowest in the format, and lost the match by 52 runs.
Bangladesh never looked to dominate the Kiwis as they did in the first two matches. The hosts lost the first four wickets inside the power play. Openers, Mohammad Naim and Liton Das, returned to the dressing room in a span of one run.
Liton smashed three fours and hinted that he would enjoy batting, but he failed to continue and fell for 15. He perished to Cole McConchie. In the very next over, Naim was removed by Rachin Ravindra.
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
Mahedi Hasan, who got a chance to bat up of the order, failed to justify the decision as he only scored one run, and right after him, Shakib Al Hasan was out for a duck. Both Mahedi and Shakib were hunted by Ajaz Patel.
The onus was on Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan to keep the Tigers in the match. While Mushfiqur was firm at one end of the wicket, Mahmudullah, Afif and Sohan fell in quick succession.
Eventually, Bangladesh tumbled for 76 all out in 20 overs with Mushfiqur remained unbeaten for 20 off 37 balls.
For New Zealand, Ajaz bagged four wickets while McConchie took three.
Earlier, New Zealand failed to secure a good opening stand once again as they posted 16 on the first wicket. Mustafizur Rahman earned the first breakthrough for the Tigers removing Finn Allen for 15.
Allen was playing his first match in this series. He was tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the series. He has recently returned negative in two Covid-19 tests and joined the New Zealand team.
Also read: Tigers eye to seal series against Kiwis on Sunday
For Bangladesh, Mohammad Saifuddin bagged two wickets conceding 28 runs in four overs while Mahedi Hasan, Mustafiz, and Mahmudullah Riyad took one wicket each.
It was the 100th T20I for Mahmudullah. He became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to have played 100 T20Is.
The hosts fielded an unchanged playing XI, while the visitors made three changes.
They overlooked Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears and Doug Bracewell to pave the way for Finn Allen, Scott Kuggeleijn, Jacob Duffy.
The remaining matches of the series will take place on September 8 and 10 at the same venue. Bangladesh need to win any of those matches to seal the series while the Blackcaps need to win both for the same.
Bangladesh require 129 to wrap up series vs New Zealand
Bangladesh need to score 129 to wrap up the five-match T20I series against New Zealand with two matches to play. In the third match on Sunday, New Zealand batted first and posted 128 for 5 in 20 overs.
Henry Nicholls scored 36— the highest by any New Zealand batsman, while Tom Blundell scored 30. Both of them were unbeaten adding 66 runs in the sixth wicket stand.
Read:New Zealand opt to bat first against Bangladesh in 3rd T20I
New Zealand failed to secure a good opening stand once again as they posted 16 on the first wicket. Mustafizur Rahman, made the first breakthrough for the Tigers removing Finn Allen for 15.
Allen was playing his first match in this series. He was tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the series. He has recently returned negative in two Covid-19 tests and joined the New Zealand team.
For Bangladesh, Mohammad Saifuddin bagged two wickets conceding 28 runs in four overs while Mahedi Hasan, Mustafiz, and Mahmudullah Riyad took one wicket each.
It was the 100th T20I for Mahmudullah. He became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to have played 100 T20Is.
The hosts fielded an unchanged playing XI, while the visitors made three changes.
They overlooked Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears and Doug Bracewell to pave the way for Finn Allen, Scott Kuggeleijn, Jacob Duffy.
Read:Tigers eye to seal series against Kiwis on Sunday
Bangladesh XI: Liton Das, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riayad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
New Zealand (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Tom Latham(w/c), Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ajaz Patel, Jacob Duffy
New Zealand opt to bat first against Bangladesh in 3rd T20I
New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bat first in the third T20I of the five-match series against Bangladesh on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh won the first two matches of the series. So the third match came as a big chance for them to wrap up the series with two matches to play on September 8 and 10 at the same venue.
The hosts fielded an unchanged playing XI, while the visitors made three changes.
Also read: Tigers eye to seal series against Kiwis on Sunday
They overlooked Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears and Doug Bracewell to pave the way for Finn Allen, Scott Kuggeleijn, Jacob Duffy.
Bangladesh XI: Liton Das, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riayad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
New Zealand (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Tom Latham(w/c), Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ajaz Patel, Jacob Duffy.
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
Tigers eye to seal series against Kiwis on Sunday
Buoyed with winning the first two matches Bangladesh look forward to a third consecutive victory against New Zealand on Sunday and seal the five-match T20I series.
Taijul Islam, Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner, said they are looking forward to keeping their process accurate in the remaining matches of the series.
“We won the maiden match of the series easily, but the next match was so tough,” Taijul told reporters on Saturday. “We had to play till the last over of the match on Friday. Mustafizur (Rahman) bowled really well. We now have to win another match to seal the series. If we can keep our process right, it won’t be tough to do that.”
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
Before the ongoing series, Bangladesh beat Australia 4-1 in th five-match T20I home series. That was a great source of confidence for the Tigers. Taijul believed that the recent success of the Bangladesh team came by riding on that confidence.
“Everyone is confident, everyone tries his best to do well and fulfil his duties. I think this is the main reason behind our success,” Taijul further told the media after an optional training session on Saturday.
In the first match of the series, New Zealand were bowled out only for 60— their lowest in the format, and the lowest by any team in the format against Bangladesh. Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan had said that the wicket was tougher than the wickets that were used against Australia. The Bangladesh cricketing fraternity believes the wicket was unreasonably friendly to the spinners.
“A spin-friendly wicket doesn’t ensure that you take the field and get 6-7 wickets. You have to bowl at the right areas to get wickets and do well. You cannot do well relying on the wicket only,” Taijul said.
Despite being a part of the limited-overs team of Bangladesh, Taijul played his last T20I match more than a year ago. The left-arm spinners said he is upbeat to do well if he gets a chance in the future.
Also read: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Five Potential Replacements of Tamim Iqbal
In the four-run win on Friday, Bangladesh’s biggest threat was Tom Latham, the New Zealand captain, who posted 65 and brought the Blackcaps so close. New Zealand batsman Rachin Ravindra said Latham’s innings was a lesson to the other batsmen of the team.
“The way he was working on singles and hitting the boundaries, and looked like he really knew his options, which is something we all can take and learn from,” Rachin told reporters on Saturday after an optional training session.
After winning the first two games, Bangladesh are placed at number six on the ICC T20I teams’ ranking. The Tigers will see further improvement if they can finish winning more games in this series.
Afghanistan U-19 team's tour of Bangladesh on: BCB
The Afghanistan U-19 team's tour of Bangladesh is on, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has said.
The development comes days after the Taliban gave the green signal to the national cricket team to play a one-off Test against Australia in November.
BCB on Friday announced a revised itinerary for this tour. The U-19 team was originally scheduled to tour Bangladesh in the last week of August.
Also read: BCB eyes long-term plan to prepare U-19 cricketers for future
As per the new schedule, the Afghanistan team is to arrive in Dhaka later on Saturday. They will travel to Sylhet on the same day, All the matches of the series will take place at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The first one-day match of the series will take place on September 10, while the other matches will be played on September 12, 14, 17 and 19, respectively. The lone four-day game will take place from September 22 to 25.
Bangladesh U-19 cricket team is the current world champions. They have been gearing up for quite a good time now for the next World Cup, which is set to take place in the West Indies next year.
Also read: World champion U-19 cricketers to get Tk1 lakh each per month
Afghanistan U-19 Squad: Suliman Arabzai, Suliman Safi, Bilal Sayeedi, Bilal Ahmad Tarin, Kamran Hotak, Nangeyalia Khan, Yama Arab, Faisal Khan Ahmadzai, Mohammad Ishaq Zazai, Ijaz Ahmad Azad, Zahidullah Salemi, Mohammadullah Najibullah, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Izharulhaq Naveed, Shahid Hasani, Sabawoon Banoori, Bilal Sami, Mohammad Naveed Zadran, Allahnoor Naseri