”
Bangladesh’s top order has to stand up and be counted for the side to have any chance against New Zealand, according to head coach Phil Simmons. Bangladesh were soundly beaten by India in their first game, and this is a do-or-die game for them.
Simmons said Bangladesh had given the game away with their poor starts with both bat and ball against India. “We lost in batting in overs one to ten, and the same in bowling. We have to make sure we win in those areas,” Simmons said. “We need to assess and put together our batting better in the first ten overs. The middle and lower order have done really well so it is up to our top-order batsmen to put things together in the first 10 or 15 overs, especially.”
Bangladesh had slipped to 35 for 5 in the ninth over in that game in Dubai. Soumya Sarkar fell in Mohammad Shami’s first over before captain Najmul Hossain Shanto gave Virat Kohli a catch at cover in the second. Tanzid Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz didn’t last too long either, while Mushfiqur Rahim fell for a golden duck.
Simmons said that the openers must assess conditions quicker. He said that Bangladesh should take inspiration from all the big scoring the tournament, especially how Australia chased down 352 against England. That game was in Lahore, Bangladesh take on New Zealand in Rawalpindi, the first of this tournament’s matches at the venue. “This is a big-scoring ground. We saw the score in Lahore yesterday. We are looking at 300-plus here,” Simmons said. “In the last five matches, we made 300 a couple of times. So we have the ability to do it. We didn’t start well in the last game, but still we got to 200 (231). If we start well, we will get there (300).”
Bangladesh are facing a familiar opposition in New Zealand – they have faced them most frequently in bilateral cricket than anyone else since 2015. This match will have a different vibe than a bilateral game, though, Simmons said. “All the games in this tournament are pressure games. These are the top-eight teams in the world, and you expect every game to be hard. They are definitely playing well but tomorrow is a new day. We will try to make sure that they don’t play as well as they have been playing.”
New Zealand won their first game in convincing fashion against Pakistan and if they win here, they will be through to the semis. Their captain Mitchell Santner said his batters’ form in the last couple of weeks has given the dressing room a lot of confidence. “I think obviously the lead-in we had with that tri-series (against Pakistan and South Africa), it was a good time for guys to get time in the middle. I think at different stages of every game we have played, different guys have stepped up, which is probably the most pleasing thing.
“I think the guys took a lot of confidence in that going into that first game against Pakistan, but then also here into Bangladesh. Again, it’s probably a reset, it’s a different surface, a different team. But I think the way the guys have been planning and netting and stuff has all been good stuff.”
Bangladesh are waiting on the fitness of Mahmudullah who missed the first game as well due to hamstring issues, having injured himself during training. He batted in the nets in Rawalpindi ahead of the New Zealand game.
Simmons hopes Bangladesh will also draw inspiration from the venue being Rawalpindi, the scene of their 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan last year. “I hope it does (inspire the team). To come into Pakistan and beat Pakistan is not an easy thing. I hope it has a significant bearing on how they think about this ground.”
”
