A high-flying Bangladesh team are hoping for a repeat of their historic performance against the then touring New Zealand side in 2010 when they swept them 4-0 after clinching the ongoing three-match one-day international series on Thursday. The Tigers defeated New Zealand by 40 runs in the second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium to take an unassailable 2-0 lead that had also opened the door for them to match their 2010 record.
Bangladesh achieved their initial mission after claiming the series and immediately shifted their focus on attempting for a clean sweep as that has now been the talking point at this stage of the series.
‘Yes it is very much possible to go 3-0 up against New Zealand and we are thinking of nothing apart from that,’ skipper Mushfiqur Rahim told a private TV channel on Friday.
‘Though we know that they will come back as hard as possible in the next game but we are confident of overcoming that,’ he said.
The confidence of the national skipper was based upon the performances of the Tigers in the recent past that also indicate a transformation in the Bangladesh team’s approach regarding tackling the higher ranked opponents.
Earlier, Bangladesh were dependent mainly on their ace all-rounder Sakib al Hasan and opener Tamim Iqbal to flourish at some point of a game in order to achieve a win with some contributions from the other members.
But that has not been the case in this series so far as they came out victorious despite suffering a major blow just at the start of the ODI series when Sakib was ruled out due to dengue.
The ODI series win at home over the West Indies by 3-2 margin in 2012 and the twin victories against the touring Kiwis in the ongoing have also played a big role in boosting the confidence of the Bangladeshi players.
‘Naturally last two ODI series win at home raised our confidence level but what is pleasing is that we have started to gel as a unit at last,’ said Mushfiq.
‘Even earlier there were a lot of performers but somehow we could not click as a team as everyone could not contribute consistently,’ he said.
‘But now it is quite different as every member of the team is now contributing to each success that we achieve,’ Mushfiq said.
‘Now our success relies on team work rather than anything else and that had been a major change in the mindset,’ he added.
Mushfiq admitted that they were initially nervous at the start of the ODI series against the Black Caps after they rested Sakib for his dengue, more so considering his superb performance in the last ODI series against them.
Sakib was expected to be a major threat to the Kiwis in the three-match ODI series, having played a vital role in the 4-0 rout of the same touring side in 2010.
Sakib, who was then the stand-in captain in place of the injured Mashrafee bin Murtaza, led from the front, scoring 213 runs and scalping 11 wickets to earn the man-of-the-series award.
-With New Age input
