NEW ZEALAND VS. BANGLADESH: BANG’S TOUR OF NZ 2021, 1st ODI | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hosts New Zealand take on Bangladesh in the first ODI of the 3-match series at the University Oval in Dunedin on Saturday.
New Zealand have been dominant at home in all formats this summer and will be eager to win the opening match to set the tone for the series. On the other hand, Bangladesh do not have a good record in New Zealand and are yet to register their maiden victory here.
This will be New Zealand’s first ODI match in more than a year. They come into this opening match without skipper K Williamson and veteran R Taylor. This experienced duo is likely to be replaced by D Conway and W Young on the team, with T Latham leading the side. While the batting is slightly weakened, they have excellent all-round options in M Santner, J Neesham, D Mitchell and M Chapman. The bowling attack looks as formidable as ever, with T Southee, T Boult and K Jamieson present on the team.
The visitors come here following a home series win over the West Indies and will be full of confidence ahead of this opening match. Skipper T Iqbal will look to lead from the front with a strong Bangladeshi batting line-up. Although they are without their star all-rounder S Al Hasan, the team boasts a good mix of youth and experience. The pace department, consisting of M Rahman, T Ahmed and M Saifuddin, needs to step up and find the right lengths in these different conditions quickly.
While the hosts are the favorites to win here, owing to their superior bowling attack and the advantage of playing in their home conditions, the Asian outfit could prove to be a handful for the Kiwis in what should be an entertaining game at Dunedin on Friday.
Match Details
- Match: New Zealand vs. Bangladesh, 1st T20
- Venue: University Oval, Dunedin
- Date & Time: Mar. 20, 2021, at 3:30 AM IST
Probable Playing XI
New Zealand
H Nicholls, M Guptill, D Conway, W Young, T Latham (C & WK), J Neesham, M Santner, K Jamieson, T Southee, M Henry, T Boult
Bangladesh
T Iqbal (C), L Das, N Hossain Shanto, M Rahim (WK), M Riyad, S Sarkar, M Hossain, M Saifuddin, M Rahman, M Hasan, T Ahmed
Weather and Pitch Report
The weather in Dunedin is going to be clear, with the temperature expected to be around 14 degrees during the game. Expect a full match with no rain interruptions.
The University Oval can be termed as a batting paradise with a flat pitch and small boundaries. Batsmen will enjoy the ball coming on to the bat nicely. There will be some movement present for the pace bowlers, but less spin for the slow bowlers. The average score in the last five ODI games played here has been 273 runs.
Combined with an early morning start and short boundaries, chasing seems to be the better option at this ground. So expect the captain winning the toss to opt to field first. A first innings score of around 300 runs can be a competitive one here.
Key Players
- M Guptill is back in form after a poor run in limited-overs cricket. In the recently-concluded T20I series against Australia, he scored 218 runs in five matches at an average of 43.6. It included two match-winning knocks of 97 and 71 in the second and fifth T20s respectively.
- D Conway is all set to make his ODI debut in this game. He has had an excellent start to his international career, scoring 366 runs in 11 games, including 3 half centuries. He has been scoring runs consistently in all formats of the game and will look to make a big score here too.
- T Boult is the highest wicket taker at the University Oval, with 16 wickets at an average of 12.87 and an excellent economy rate of 4.09. His best figures of 5 for 17 came here against Pakistan three years ago.
- T Iqbal had a good time in the ODI series against the West Indies at home, scoring 158 runs in three matches, including 2 half centuries. He will look to add to the count of 4 half centuries that he has on New Zealand soil.
- M Rahim is the most capped ODI player in the current Bangladesh squad and is one of the key players in their batting unit. He has been in decent form, scoring 216 runs in the last series against the Windies. He achieved his highest score of 86 in New Zealand at this same venue back in 2010.
- M Rahman made a comeback into the national team after a streak of consistent performances in domestic tournaments. He took 6 wickets in the 3-match series against the West Indies and will be key for the visitors on the pace-friendly pitches of New Zealand.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeepers: T Latham, M Rahim
- Batsmen: D Conway, M Guptill, T Iqbal, Mahmudullah
- All-rounder: M Saifuddin
- Bowlers: K Jamieson, T Boult, T Southee, M Rahman
- Captain: D Conway/M Guptill
- Vice Captain: M Rahim/T Iqbal
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can name your fantasy prediction and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
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