Bangladesh seem to be on top of their game, after beating New Zealand in the 3 match ODI series, but there is still 1 match to be played. Both teams do not want to take this one lightly, Bangladesh because they want to get up there in the rankings, and New Zealand because they want to gain more exposure to playing in Asian conditions.

There have been a lot of positives for both sides, the emergency of Neesham, Anderson for New Zealand, whereas it is the form of Tamim, Mortaza and Gazi that has brought a smile on the Bangladeshi supporters. This match is a dead rubber, and both teams might experiment with 1 or 2 players, but still they will go all guns blazing to win.

Team News
For Bangladesh, Tamim has reported pain and may be rested for the dead rubber. On the other hand, Mortaza’s burden should be managed smartly and as a result Al-Amin could debut, but the team management also said that they may need the experience of Mortaza. The top order looks a bit fragile, with neither Anamul, nor Mominul being in the best of forms, but their solid middle order more than makes up for it. Nasir hasn’t been among the runs, and being bangladesh’s best batsman, he should step up and perform.

With 2 of their best batsmen injured in Mccullum and Williamson, there is nothing to lose for the Kiwis but they must up their game. Rutherford and Taylor are very promising cricketers, but their performances show the kind of form they are in, very bad. Neesham and Anderson’s emergence as all-rounder’s is great for the team, who can now afford to play 5 bowlers or 6, as they wish. However, the lack of a good spinner is definitely hurting them, and Nathan Mccullum is the only one to be blamed here. Their second and younger opener Devcich is not cashing in after getting a start, and his domestic record doesn’t suggest he is a good player either, but New Zealand for some reason are showing faith in him, which might prove to be costly.

Probable Teams
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal/Shamshur Rahman/Anamul Haque(any 2), Mominul Haque, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim(c)(wk), Mahmudullah, Masrafe Mortaza/Al-Amin, Sohag Gazi, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain

Under the hood: Mominul Haque has had a superb test series recently, but hasn’t quite contributed in this ODI series yet. With Shakib slated to make a comeback sooner than later, he is the only weak link in this batting unit currently and may have to make way if he doesn’t score heavily. He is a proven customer, just needs to spend some time in the middle and bat long. He comes in at #3, which is a good position to bat at, but consistency in this format of the game is a must.

New Zealand: Hamish Ruterford, Anton Devcich, Grant Elliot, Ross Taylor, Luke Ronchi (wk), James Neesham, Corey Anderson, Tom Latham, Nathan Mccullum, Kyle Mills(c), Tim Southee

Under the hood: Nathan Mccullum is New Zealand’s best spinner? That is a question that many want an answer to. He neither turns the ball a big way, nor is he really consistent, but he does manage to get breakthroughs and sometimes contains the runs too. However, the team management will certainly look into other spinners in domestic competitions as Mccullum seems to have been quite ineffective here and if he cannot get the Bangladeshi batsmen ut, what would he do against better batting line ups.

Expected Result: Bangladesh Win




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