New Zealand all-rounder Colin Munro reflected on the intensity of the third one-day international against Bangladesh at Fatullah after the match on Sunday, calling the experience ‘awesome’.
‘We had a lot to play for. Some guys said, ‘It is a dead rubber so go out there and play with freedom”,’ Munro said after his 77-ball 85, which ultimately went in vain.
‘I got a duck in my last international match [so] I had a lot to prove yesterday. It was very pleasing to score runs in my first game here because I have been working on playing against spin.
‘It was awesome to be part of the experience of playing here. When Rubel was running in for the first ball to me, the crowd was deafening.’
The 26-year-old, playing in just his fourth ODI, put on a 130-run partnership for the fourth wicket with veteran Ross Taylor (107 off 93) to help steer the Black Caps to 307/5 – a total they would have fancied defending before Bangladesh successfully chased it down to complete the series sweep.
‘Rosco [Taylor] said some good things at the end of the game. It was great batting with him. I think he absorbed the pressure in the middle period well yesterday.’
Munro, who did not bowl any of his right-arm medium pace in his only appearance of the series, said that the competition for places in the side made his performance more important ahead of New Zealand’s tour of Sri Lanka.
‘There’s a lot of competition and it is good for the team. I think the two best all-rounders are Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham because they can bowl the full quota of overs and can contribute with the bat.
‘Hopefully I have put my hand up and [said that] I can play in the sub-continent, and play the first one-dayer in Sri Lanka,’ he added.
Munro also said that the tourists would keep their heads up with the Twenty20 International against Bangladesh left to play on Wednesday.
‘It would be silly of us to have our heads down halfway through a long tour. We have a lot of cricket left, including the Twenty20 game here.
‘If we can win that one and go to Sri Lanka that would be great for the team.’
-With New Age input
