Bangladesh will have another chance to complete their maiden T20 International series win against visiting New Zealand when the two teams meet in the fourth match on Wednesday (September 8) at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka.
Match Blog | Scorecard | News
After back-to-back series wins against Zimbabwe and Australia, Bangladesh defeated New Zealand in the first two matches. In the first match, Bangladesh overwhelmed New Zealand -- a seven-wicket win after dismissing the Kiwis for their joint-lowest T20I score of 60 all out. And the chief architect was star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
In the second match, Bangladesh successfully defended a low total of 141 runs with spinners, just like in the first match, playing crucial roles. Kiwi skipper Tom Latham, despite his unbeaten 65 off 49, failed to see the team home as his rival number, Mahmudullah won the man of the match award.
Advertisement
But the Kiwis hit back in the third match with a 52-run win. A late flourish from Henry Nicholls (36) and Tom Blundell (30) helped New Zealand post a fighting total, then spinners Ajaz Patel (4/16) and Cole McConchie (3/15) doing the damage with their spin.
So, it's safe to assume that the fourth match will be another low-scoring affair, with spin dominating the play.
Head-to-head
New Zealand are 11-2 in the head-to-head record, with seven of those wins coming at home. But Bangladesh have lost only thrice in their last ten outings overall.
New Zealand have won all four bilateral series against Bangladesh -- 1-0 (one match) in 2010, 1-0 (one match) in 2013, 3-0 (three matches) in 2017 and 3-0 (three matches) earlier this year.
Advertisement
Key Players
Strangely, Shakib Al Hasan had a quiet day on Sunday - a two-ball duck and 24 runs without success in his spell of four overs. But expect the top-ranked T20I all-rounder to return with a vengeance. He is on the cusp of becoming the highest wicket-taker in T20Is. He needs only a couple of wickets to overtake Lasith Malinga (107). Also, skipper Mahmudullah remains a key player for the hosts.
Having seen the lay of the land where spin flourishes, Ajaz Patel will be keen to have his share of returns. Patel (6 wickets) and his spin partners, Rachin Ravindra (5) and Cole McConchie (5) are the top wicket-takers. In fact, New Zealand also own the scorers' list with Latham topping the charts with 88 runs. Henry Nicholls is second with 60.
Match and telecast details
Match: Fourth T20I match between Bangladesh and New Zealand
Date: September 8 (Wednesday), 2021
Time: 3:30 PM IST/ 4:00 PM local
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
TV Channels: Not available in India
Live Streaming: FanCode (Subscription required)
Elsewhere...
Bangladesh: T Sports, B TV, and Gazi TV
New Zealand: BT Sport.
Likely XIs
Bangladesh: Liton Das, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah (c), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Tom Latham (c and wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Scott Kuggeleijn/Hamish Bennett, Ajaz Patel, Jacob Duffy.
Advertisement
Playing XIs in the third match
Bangladesh: Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah (c), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Tom Latham (c & wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ajaz Patel, Jacob Duffy.
Squads
Bangladesh: Mahmudullah (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain, Mohammad Naim, Nurul Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam, Nasum Ahmed.
Advertisement
New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner, Will Young, Matt Henry.
