BAN vs NZ : Tigers look to avoid series defeat

Bangladesh will be looking to avoid their first home ODI series defeat to New Zealand in 13 years on home soil when they take on the visitors in the third and final match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today.

The match is scheduled to start at 02:00pm (BST) and will be telecast live on T Sports.

The Tigers had an upper hand over the Kiwis on both occasions when they last toured Bangladesh respectively in 2010 and 2013 as the hosts outplayed them by 4-0 and 3-0 margins to clinch the series victories.

However, after a wash-out in the series opener on Thursday, Bangladesh lost their first ODI on home soil to New Zealand by 86 runs during the second match to go 0-1 down in the series and they are now on the verge of a series defeat to the same opponents at their own backyard after 2008.

“There is not much of an option to think what happened in 2008. The main thing is how we can finish the game tomorrow,” interim skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who is set to become 16th ODI skipper for Bangladesh, told reporters in a press conference on Monday.

Going into the match, Bangladesh suffered a big blow as pacer Taskin Ahmed was ruled out of the game due to food poisoning.

Pacer Syed Khaled Ahmed and middle-order batsman Afif Hossain were added to the squad for the third and final match of the series, the Bangladesh Cricket Board informed on Monday.

Meanwhile, New Zealand have a good chance to end their series losing streak in Bangladesh today by winning the final ODI against the hosts. They came here mostly with their second string team players but after a terrific all-round performance by Ish Sodhi in the second game, they are now leading the series by 1-0.

“When we came into the series, it was always a goal to win every match you play and we certainly hope so,” New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls said on Monday.

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