These are changing times for both sides, and from what it seems, for once, it’s in a good way. Bangladesh, particularly so. The sword of transition had been dangling over them for quite some time. The transition in question took a long time to begin, and even longer to feel like it was finally happening. Whether they have fully evolved with the younger lot is still a matter of debate. However, it’s safe to say Bangladesh might have found some ground, one that isn’t rock bottom, beneath them, finally.
The series win against Sri Lanka is evidence in favour of that argument. And if they are able to repeat something similar against Pakistan, the team they’ve historically faltered against the most, the questions that have long shadowed them might finally start getting answered.
But Pakistan, too, find themselves in a space of calm, surrounded by troubling waters. They landed in Dhaka with a side more new-look than even their original new-look team. And while they did defeat Bangladesh 3-0 earlier this year at home, they now seem more uncertain about things than they have in a long time.
Team Overview
With Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan seem to have put an end to the revolving door of captains they had, but Salman’s task isn’t done just yet. He has a largely young team to lead, with Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, and Faheem Ashraf the only players carrying a good chunk of experience. Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan are sitting out with their respective injuries, which means the inexperienced bowlers will have to carry the attack. Nawaz’s return, though, makes things look somewhat brighter.
Pakistan have invested heavily in all-rounders for the series, with as many as five options available. This could be used to give the raw bowling attack some breathing room. However, the batting lineup carries a fair bit of unpredictability. Both young top-order batters, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris, have grown more mature over time, putting greater value on their wicket. But even now, their shot selection can make them look pretty iffy.
Pakistan are likely to slot in Hasan Nawaz, who was the sole bright spot in New Zealand back in March and did well against Bangladesh in the home series too.
In Dambulla, Litton Das managed to score his first half-century since the T20 World Cup, helping Bangladesh win despite a collapse, and also returning to what he does best.
Besides him, the rest of Bangladesh’s batters are also enjoying a rare spell of depth in the format. Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, and Shamim Hossain all made valuable contributions against Sri Lanka. Similarly, the bowling attack, strengthened by the return of pace spearheads Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, did a pretty decent job. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, single-handedly, kept Bangladesh in the hunt in the final T20I in Colombo by grabbing four wickets for just eleven runs in his quota of four overs. This automatically places Bangladesh in a better position than the visitors.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Bangladesh have only ever won three T20I games against Pakistan, who have won the remaining 19 out of 22 games.
Weather and Pitch Report:
The surface at Shere Bangla Stadium isn’t a dream for batters. Typically, it offers plenty of spin as well as uneven bounce, making it hard to set a decent total on the board. However, in the recent edition of the BPL, big runs weren’t exactly a rarity here. It remains to be seen at which end of the spectrum Dhaka’s pitch will fall on Sunday. There is also some prediction for rain on match day, which could affect the later stages of the game.
Prediction:
There’s a reason Pakistan have historically dominated Bangladesh, and that reason alone might be enough for the visitors to keep the trend going.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, Tamasha, PTV Sports, A Sports, Ten Sports
Bangladesh: T Sports, Nagorik TV, Rabbithole
India: FanCode
MENA: Cricbuzz
Africa (except North Africa): SuperSport
US: Willow TV
Rest of the World: BCB YouTube Channel
