Chennai, Oct 12: Shakib Al Hasan’s Bangladesh will hope that their spinners play a major role against New Zealand at Chepauk during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. New Zealand have shown clinical precision in this World Cup so far.
They’ve been flawless in their two wins, which shows in their net run rate of 1.958.However, the Black Caps will be aware that a different kind of challenge awaits them in Chennai. They will be up against a class spin bowling line-up on a surface that is expected to take turn. However, the Kiwis themselves carry one of the better spin attacks in the tournament. Their lead spinner, Mitchell Santner picked a five-for in their last league encounter. The likes of Ish Sodhi and Rachin Ravindra are handy options as well.
Regular skipper Kane Williamson is a strong possibility to return for the game, even as pacer Tim Southee is expected to sit out. Bangladesh’s confidence was dented with a big loss against England. But the Tigers have enough experience in sub-continental conditions, and will look to employ their tweakers to exploit the Chennai wicket. They will also hope for a better outing from their batters.
Najmul Hossain Shanto played a crucial role in securing Bangladesh’s win over Afghanistan in their opening game of the tournament. Despite his failure against England, the southpaw remains an important top-order contributor. (Agencies)
