This match will be the most crucial game of the Champions Trophy so far. It will all but confirm New Zealand’s advancement to the semi-finals and could officially end whatever survival chances Bangladesh and Pakistan have left in the tournament. But the Kiwis are in red-hot form, and it will take something special to stop them.
Although they have only played one game in the tournament so far, they have looked unstoppable since the start of the tournament. In fact, their exploits in the Tri-nation series before the Champions Trophy made them favorites coming into the event.
Bangladesh lost their opening game to India in Dubai, which means this will be their first match in Pakistan. There were some positives for them in the game against India, but in a tournament as condensed as the Champions Trophy, no positive matters more than securing points. Their survival chances hinge on defeating both New Zealand and Pakistan while hoping for plenty of other results to go their way. This does sound like an almost impossible prospect, but hope is all they have left now.
Team Overview:
Bangladesh’s batting struggles against India were nothing short of ugly. At one point, they were reeling at 35-5 before Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali rescued them by providing some resistance. Najmul Hossain Shanto, along with the rest of the top order, looked toothless against India’s bowling. So, Bangladesh will know already where exactly they need to direct their hard work.
Their bowling, however, was not quite as unchallenging. On Dubai’s slow pitch, the Bangladesh bowlers made India sweat. But can they replicate the same effort on Pakistan’s more batting-friendly pitches?
Surprisingly, Bangladesh left out Nahid Rana in the first game, apparently because he did not fit the team combination. He, along with Mahmudullah, who had a niggle, is likley to be part of the final XI against New Zealand. This could boost the side’s morale, given how both players have contributed to their side lately.
New Zealand, on the other hand, are facing a selection headache. Rachin Ravindra’s forehead laceration in one of the tri-series games kept him out of the opening game against Pakistan. Devon Conway, who replaced him in the team, has shown some promising performances in the recent games. Which of the two will New Zealand persist with, Ravindra or Conway?
New Zealand’s bowling attack, despite missing two of their bowlers to injuries, did well to halt Pakistan. Will O’Rourke took four wickets, while the spin duo Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner weaved their usual magic. All they will need to do is to keep the pressure on Bangladesh’s fragile batting line, and they will have everything sorted for themselves.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Bangladesh and New Zealand have faced off in 45 ODIs. Out of these, the Kiwis won 33, Bangladesh managed to win 11 matches. One game ended without any result.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Rawalpindi is the coolest (by temperature) of all the venues in the tournament, so count on the pacers to chip in significantly. Generally, the Pindi pitch favors batters, especially in white ball games. It will be a test for spinners at the venue, especially because overcast conditions are predicted. The toss-winning captain will look to bowl first to maintain early dominance.
Prediction:
It’s simple. It is a game between the team that won the tri-series just ten days ago and the team that last won an ODI in November. You do the math
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, PTV Sport, Ten Sports, Myco App
India: Star Sports Network, Network 18, JioCinema App
UK: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action, Sky Sport App
Australia: PrimeVideo
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ, Sky Sports Now, Sky Go
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport Network
Bangladesh: Nagorik TV, T Sports, Toffee app
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV, Sirasa TV
USA: Willow TV
Caribbean: ESPN Caribbean App
MENA: StarzPlay, CricLife Max, CricLife Max 2, Max 2
