Zimbabwe are preparing for a do-or-die contest as they take on Bangladesh in the third one-day international of five-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today.
Zimbabwe must win the game if they are to stay alive in the series after going down 0-2 in Chittagong with defeats in the first two matches. ‘It is pretty much [a do-or-die match], to be honest,’ said batsman Vusimuzi Sibanda. ‘We will look to win the game. It is a one-off game in which we have to put in everything.
‘The guys are still feeling positive. They are hungry to win. So, hopefully the guys will come in tomorrow [Wednesday] and put on a good show. We have to stay in the series,’ he said.
Zimbabwe are more encouraged as the game will be held in Dhaka where wicket offers some pace and bounce unlike Khulna and Chittagong, the other cities they have visited so far.
The visitors were highly competitive in the first Test they played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, where, with a slice of luck, the result could have gone their way.
It suited their pace bowlers well as they rattled Bangladesh defending only a small total of 114 runs in the fourth innings.
‘Unless the wicket is prepared differently, yes we are expecting a bit of pace and bounce,’ said Sibanda. ‘Hopefully that’ll be the case and we have to look to adjust from Chittagong.
Seasoned player Sibanda, who also led Zimbabwe A team in a bilateral series in September-October, however, believes it will not be easy to bring their troubled tour van back on track.
‘It is obviously difficult to play Bangladesh in their backyard,’ he said. ‘Obviously their morale is quite high. We are quite far away from home, 25 guys against a whole nation,’ he said.
-With New Age input
