TAKEWAYS
Follow UsWe’ve all seen a flurry of ODIs happening around the world, with teams fine-tuning their squad and getting some relevant match practice before the marquee tournament.
One such fixture has been the New Zealand tour of Bangladesh. The three ODIs saw both teams fielding a second-string XI and testing their bench strength. It helped the visitors acclimate to the conditions offered in Asia, while the hosts got adequate game-time against top-tier opponents.
Both teams came into the series with decent game time behind them. Bangladesh were fresh off a morale-boosting win against a full-strength Indian side in the Asia Cup, while the Kiwi batters were taught a hard lesson in England not too long ago. A washout in the first ODI notwithstanding, there were still some takeaways for both sides from the series.
Will Young finally amongst runs
After being bundled out for 187, 147, and 211 in the final three ODIs of their England tour, it was fairly evident that their middle order was going to be a big reason to worry in the World Cup. It didn’t help that most of their top 6 in the Bangladesh series consisted of batters who weren’t flying to India in October.
Will Young - the solitary World Cup-bound top-order batter in the Kiwi side, came up with a superlative fifty to not only win the POTM but also help his side clinch the series. The opener did a good job of seeing off the new ball and kept ticking the scoreboard by punishing the bad balls as they came.
They will also take heart from how their lower-order batted in the second ODI. With most of their batters playing their first World Cup, their tail wagging would go a long way in helping them punch above their weight, something they’re known for. Ish Sodhi, after receiving a reprieve in the form of an appeal withdrawal, took his side to safer waters from 187/7. Promoted to #8 for this series, his 35 proved to be match-winning as Bangladesh were bundled out for just 168.
Adam Milne back to his fiery best
Tim Southee’s eleventh-hour injury seemed to have put the New Zealand think tank in a spot of bother, but Milne’s string of good performances will keep them in good stead. While Matt Henry’s otherworldly performances with the new ball will ensure they won’t miss Southee on that front, they will still need someone to help them with breakthroughs in the middle and the death.
Note: Now reports suggest Tim Southee will be back in the side.
Adam Milne has always looked threatening without ever breaking the ceiling. Injuries and a lack of a consistent run at the top have meant that he has ended up being a true successor to Shane Bond’s legacy.
However, his comeback to ODI cricket has seen him pick up 13 wickets in six wickets. This, without going wicketless even once. He concluded this with a fantastic four-for in the final ODI in Mirpur. Express pace and the ability to move off the surface is a potent combination that Milne possesses.
Add to that, Kyle Jamieson also seemed fit and raring to go in the second ODI. He had a decent outing with both ball and bat in hand. Further, his height will help him trouble batters with the additional bounce he will be able to extract.
Mahmudullah’s return
Since last donning the Bangla jersey over six months ago, Mahmudullah wouldn’t have imagined being dropped from the setup altogether for the Asia Cup. While run-scoring was never an issue with him, his strike rate had begun to impede Bangladesh’s run-scoring.
In the 10 innings preceding his apparent “rest”, he averaged in excess of 40 but managed to strike above 80 in just three of those innings. Unfortunately, the management was not able to fill the void left by him in the Asia Cup. Their middle order repeatedly failed to help them set up competitive totals, leaving their bowlers to do much more than necessary.
Even as recently as last month, BCB President Nazmul Hasan was of the opinion that he’s still in the reckoning for a World Cup spot, but his omission from the Asia Cup seemed like his fate was all but sealed. Mehidy’s successful promotion to the top order also played a role in strengthening the off-spinning all-rounder’s case.
His return to the #7 position saw Bangladesh get some more runs down the order, eventually leading to his selection for the World Cup. Along with Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, the experienced trio will play a huge role in helping Bangladesh have a tournament their fans can remember.
