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Having taken a 2-0 lead in the series, Bangladesh will host New Zealand in the third T20I match at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
The Bangla Tigers obliterated NZ in the series opener, where they rattled the visitors out on just 60 and chased it down with seven wickets to spare. The second one turned out to be an absolute thriller, with the match going right down to the last ball.
The hosts posted 140 runs on the board – a very good total in these tricky conditions. NZ put on a far better display with the bat this time around, led by Tom Latham but eventually lost by four runs.
Bangladesh are in superb form, having won eight matches out of their last ten and look a very formidable force in spin-friendly conditions. New Zealand, on the other hand, have won six out of their last ten.
The visitors will have a mountain of a task to avoid their first-ever series defeat in T20Is against Bangladesh, especially with their second-string team that is young and inexperienced.
Key Players
One of the best all-rounders in world cricket, Shakib Al Hasan has made an immense contribution to how far Bangladesh have come. His record in international T20s is outstanding, having picked 106 wickets at an impressive economy of 6.75, including one five-wicket haul and four four-wicket hauls. The 34yr old all-rounder also has 1755 runs to his name at an average of 23.40 while striking at 121.70. Shakib has been in magnificent form this year, scoring 188 runs in nine innings and picking 14 wickets at an economy of 6.30. His bowling numbers in his last three innings read 4/9, 2/10, 2/29.
Mustafizur Rahman, the architect of countless victories for Bangladesh, is their premier bowler in the limited overs cricket. The Fizz possesses an extraordinary ability to extract assistance off the pitch, nailing yorkers and has terrific variations. His T20 record speaks for itself, having picked 71 wickets in 50 matches at an average of 19.39 runs per wicket, including the best bowling figures of 5/22. Mustafizur has been outstanding for Bangladesh this year with 13 wickets at an exceptional economy of 5.84. He closed out the NZ innings in the first game with 3/13 and successfully defended 20 off the last over in the second game.
Mahmudullah has been one of the key figures in Bangladesh cricket for a decade. The 35yr old all-rounder has been a rock for the team in the lower middle order, adding firepower and reliability. Mahmudullah in his T20I career has scored over 1700 runs averaging 23.97 at a scoring rate of 120.19, including five half centuries. He also bowls handy off-spin and has 32 scalps while conceding at 7.25. Mahmudullah has three 30+ scores in his last eight innings, including an unbeaten 37 in the last game against New Zealand, for which he was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’.
Tom Latham is a highly accomplished cricketer for New Zealand in Test and ODI formats. The 29-year-old old left-handed batter has not received many opportunities in international T20s. His overall T20 numbers, however, do look pretty decent. Latham has 1873 runs in 70 T20 innings averaging 28.37 at a strike rate of 131.80, including a hundred and 11 fifties. In this second string NZ unit, Latham is the best player of spin, and he showed why single-handedly taking the match down to the wire with his 65* off 49 balls. He will be the key player for the visitors if they are to avoid a series of defeats on Sunday.
Prediction
New Zealand have dominated Bangladesh, winning 10 out of 12 T20I matches. However, history has no significance here as the Bangla Tigers have shown by beating NZ twice in a row.
New Zealand look out of their depth, with most of their batters facing quality spin in such conditions for the first time in their careers. Tom Latham, who’s best equipped against spin, did his best in the last game, but it wasn’t enough. The return of Finn Allen, who has joined the team after recovering from Covid-19, will be a big boost for the visitors.
Bangladesh are looking very solid, with the bowling attack extremely potent while different players are stepping up and contributing with the bat. The hosts will be clear favourites heading into the third game to take an unassailable 3-0 lead over New Zealand.
