BSS, Dhaka
Emboldened by their facile victory in the one-off Test, Bangladesh oozed with confidence to clinch the three-match ODI series too as they will begin their mission today (Friday) by taking on Zimbabwe in the first match at Harare Sports Club. The match will start at 1.30 pm as per Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) and will be aired live on Gazi TV and T Sports channel.
Bangladesh as expectedly toiled little to win the solitary Test by 220 runs, their biggest margin victory in overseas soil. The batsmen and the bowlers performed up to the mark to help the side get off to a good start in the series, which they now want to carry in the ODI series too.
The ODI series is however extremely important for Bangladesh since it is the part of ICC ODI Super League, which will determine the team’s direct qualification in the 2023 World Cup in India.
Winning all three matches against Zimbabwe became imperative for Bangladesh after they ruined 10 points against Sri Lanka at home despite winning the three-match series.
Bangladesh is currently in the second position in the ICC ODI Super League with 50 points from nine matches. England are in top with 95 from 15 matches. Most of the nations however played less matches than Bangladesh in the league so far.
The good news for Bangladesh is that opener Tamim Iqbal who missed the one-off Test will play the ODI series. Tamim who is still nursing his knee injury is the captain of the Bangladesh one-day team and led the side from the front in the lone one-day warm-up game by hitting a 62 ball-66, studded by 11 fours and one six. Bangladesh indeed flexed their muscle against Zimbabwe Select XI that included several national players of the hosts, compiling a hefty 296-6 in the warm-up game. The bad light however stopped the game after Bangladesh bowlers reduced the local side to 189-7.
The match may produce no results but Bangladesh made it clear that they would come out all guns blazing in the ODI series. Bangladesh would miss the service of their most dependable batsman Mushfiqur Rahim who had to return to country, leaving ODI and T20 series unfinished to be with his ailing parents who are diagnosed with coronavirus. Still Bangladesh have the depth and confidence to complete their mission successfully. “Our team is bolstered with some experienced players, an advantage that so many teams in the world haven’t got. We have some exciting young and talented players who can do anything on their given day,” said Bangladesh allrounder Mosaddek Hossain Saikat.
“Our ODI team is one of the best in the business because most of our players can bat and bowl simultaneously with good effect, which gave us enough options. So we are confident to achieve our best result in the series,” he added. Stat suggested Bangladesh have the upper-hand over Zimbabwe in ODI cricket as they won 47 matches in 75 encounters. They lost 28 matches. But at Zimbabwe’s soil, Bangladesh lost more matches than winning. Zimbabwe won 15 out of 28 matches at their home against Bangladesh. Even in the last ODI series in Zimbabwe in 2013, the hosts won it by 2-1.
But this time the outcome will be different, according to Mosaddek as Bangladesh came up with a huge victory in the one-off Test.
