Rawalpindi: New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bowl first in the Champions Trophy Group A clash against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Both sides come into the game having made two changes each from their respective opening games.
For the Kiwis, Kyle Jamieson has come into the side in place of Nathan Smith and Rachin Ravindra, who missed the opening encounter with a head injury, replaced unwell Daryl Mitchell.
The Black Caps started their campaign in dominant fashion, securing a 60-run win over hosts Pakistan. With a strong net run rate of 1.20, another victory will all but confirm their place in the knockout stage.
Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner stated that dew has played a part in their decision to bowl here and expects that the pitch will get better as the game goes on.
“We trained a lot in different grounds, but there might be some dew here. “Looks like a very good wicket, can get better to bat on. Two changes here – Kyle Jamieson in for Nathan Smith, and Rachin Ravindra is back in,” said Santner at the toss.
For Bangladesh, the equation is simple – win or face elimination. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side suffered a six-wicket defeat against India in their opening game and are currently third in the group with a net run rate of -0.408. A loss here would make their chances of progressing to the last-four extremely slim. Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Shakib were excluded sit out for the match and were replaced by Mahmudullah and speedster Nahid Rana.
Bangladesh have managed only 11 wins in 45 ODIs against New Zealand, while the Black Caps have dominated with 33 victories. One match ended without a result.
New Zealand have historically dominated this fixture, but Bangladesh can take confidence from their famous win in the 2017 Champions Trophy, where they knocked the Black Caps out of the tournament. A similar upset is the need of the hour if they want to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
Playing XIs
New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.
Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman.
(IANS)
