While Bangladesh lost the second one-day International against New Zealand in Christchurch, the players' performance and attitude have significantly improved.
Team Tigers' could have won if they had been more concentrated on fielding in the last 10-15 overs of the match. But, in the end, Bangladesh had to concede a 5 wicket loss to the hosts due to numerous dropped catches and misfields. New Zealand clinched the series with one match in hand. Bangladesh's batsmen and bowlers maintained enough discipline in this match, therefore it was a closely-contested match. We will be explained in this article how the Tamim-led team shows promise in the 2nd ODI.
Batting
Bangladesh were all-out for just 131 runs in the first match due to the failure of the batsmen. As a result, Bangladesh was defeated by 6 wickets in the match. The batsmen surrendered helplessly in front of the world-class Kiwi pacers due to their lack of experience playing on bouncy wickets and a lack of proper thinking. The bowlers, on the other hand, had little to do after the batsmen struggled.
In the second match, the complete opposite scenario was seen. After losing the toss, Captain Tamim Iqbal started batting very carefully. Seeing his attitude, it was clear that he came on the field with the conviction of playing a big innings. The way he was batting, the ODI captain of the Bangladesh team could have scored his 14th century on this day.
He was run out for 6 runs and was deprived of another century. However, Tamim touched another milestone that day. He became the first Bangladeshi to score fifty fifties in the ODI format. Before him, only six openers in world cricket history made more than fifty half-centuries in the limited-overs format.
On this particular day, not only Tamim but also the rest of the team's batsmen looked solid. Soumya and Mushfiqur scored runs with the bat. Mohammad Mithun shocked everyone by coming in at number five in the batting order. Mithun played an attacking knock of unbeaten 63 * off 56 balls until the end of the innings.
Bangladesh's score would have been close to 300 if the lower middle-order batsmen had cooperated as expected. However, 271 runs was a challenging score to beat.
A certain kind of urge has been noticed among the batsmen. They wanted to prove their worth, as a result, Bangladesh did very well in the batting department. If professionalism is maintained, it is possible to deal with any obstacles. Bangladesh is expected to play well in the last match of the series.
Bowling
The bowlers gained trust as a result of the batsmen's responsible batting. In order to win this match, they started putting pressure on the visiting batsmen straight away. As a result, the Kiwis lost three wickets in 11 overs for just 53 runs.
Mahadi Hasan played the most important role in getting the wicket in the beginning. In his second ODI, Mahadi has already earned the confidence of the team management. Mehidy Hasan Miraj faces the toughest competition for a place in the XI. When comparing their performances, it is clear that Mahadi Hasan has outperformed Mehidy in both matches. Tamim Iqbal opted to keep both players in the starting XI in order to get the best out of them. Of course, the Bangladesh team benefits the most from this.
To get New Zealand back on track, Conway and Latham put on a century stand for the fourth wicket. Tamim Iqbal sent Conway to the pavilion with a direct thru run-out. Bangladesh hoped to make a comeback at that stage. Team tigers were able to put a lot of pressure on the Kiwis in the next few overs, but they were unable to win the match due to poor fielding performance.
Bangladesh's spinners looked excellent in this match. They didn't allow New Zealand batters to score freely. On the other hand, although the pacers' bowling figures showed some expense, they actually bowled very well. Taskin and Saifuddin bowled some bad deliveries under pressure. Mustafizur Rahman, on the other side, took two wickets but gave up 7.30 runs per over.
Captaincy
Tamim Iqbal captained this match very well. He has always been involved in inspiring the team after performing his duties with the bat. Also fixing the field position, changing the bowling everything was fine. Tamim Iqbal is slowly becoming a full-fledged captain. Bangladesh cricket fans are hoping for a bright future under his leadership.
The particular area that Bangladesh need improvement
Despite their good batting and bowling performances, Bangladesh's fielding is the key reason for their loss in this match. Bangladesh came under fire for dropping catches at crucial moments. Furthermore, towards the end of the match, the Bangladeshi players seemed nervous. As a result, despite being in a strong position, the Tigers were unable to win the do-or-die match.
You must be equally strong in all areas to win in harsh environments on foreign soil. Cricketers must realize that even the tiniest error will alter the outcome of the game. Fielders must be more concentrated and committed in their play. In this situation, the captain must take on a unique role in reawakening the squad.
Bottom Line
Bangladesh, on the whole, put a lot of pressure on New Zealand at home. If they had given it their all in the fielding department, the outcome of the game may have been different. Bangladesh will be able to play better in the future when they go on tour to countries like South Africa and Australia, thanks to the trust they gained from this match. Tamim's team has unquestionably shown tremendous potential.
