South Africa finally began to feel the heat in their Bangladesh tour as they go into the third and final one-dayer in Chittagong today hoping to avoid the ignominy of series loss.
The Proteas looked overwhelmingly favourites when the series began at the weekend until Bangladesh found a way to beat the side in the second match to change the scenario completely.
It was not just the win rather the manner in which it came that must have given Bangladesh their confidence back after Twenty20 drubbings, doubling the woes of the visiting side.
When they landed in Bangladesh the Proteas had said that they feared only two things in Bangladesh – the heat and the confidence of Bangladesh – and both will be at play in the third one-dayer.
Hosts have brought back the challenge for the visiting side and leg-spinner Imran Tahir said they are relishing it already.
‘We are a team that never steps back from any challenge,’ Tahir said after the training session in Chittagong on Tuesday. ‘So we are really looking forward to this challenge.’
Tahir claimed nothing has changed in their camp after the embarrassing loss when they were folded for 162 runs with four overs remaining and got thumped as Bangladesh chased the score down with 134 balls in hand.
‘All is going well in our camp,’ said the Pakistan-origin leg-spinner. ‘We are very happy people. But obviously when we get to the ground we always challenge for position, we always fight.
‘We never look back. We have got a good group of people. We are going to give our best. We are not worried about what happened in the last game or the game before.’
Chittagong is not a completely new venue to South Africa, who played their four group matches in the ICC World Twenty20 at the venue last year and won all but one.
From his experience in the World Twenty20, Tahir, who played a key role in South Africa’s ascension to the semi-final with 11 wickets from four group matches, said a total around 250 runs will be handy in the series decider.
‘I think anything over 200 is going to be a good score,’ said Tahir. ‘If you look at the way the pitch played in the last game, you can look for 300 as well, but it depends how you play in the middle overs.
‘For me I think 250 is going to be a good score.’
Tahir brushed aside the suggestion that a series loss to lower-ranked Bangladesh would be slanderous for his side.
‘We are not worried about it at all,’ he said. ‘If they play well, they are going to win it,’ he said.
-With New Age input
