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Bangladesh-England T20 series

Tigers to face off challenge in decider today


Published : 12 Mar 2023 02:59 AM

Tigers will face a big challenge to grab the three-match T-20 series when they take on England today in the second match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

The second T20 match has turned into a huge excitement as it will be a series decider after Bangladesh won the first one in Chattogram.  

Even though usually taking it an unpredictable contest, the shortest version, the home sides are buoyant following their first match win, as visitors will find themselves under pressure on and off the field.

Bangladesh will be looking to avenge the ODI series loss against England. They won the third ODI by 50 runs after losing the first two games, to suffer their first home series defeat in seven years in ODIs. 

Bangladesh might be in a stirring mood after the impressive win in Chattogram in the first T-20 to take lead 1-0 but they surely realize that the job will be very tough to ensure the series win.

The reigning world champions in both the one day international and the T-20 formats, the English will not leave any stone unturned to bounce back to level and ultimately to win the series.

Might be it would be a different ball game at different wickets at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, where they lost two ODIs before going to Chattogram where they won one ODI and one T20 at the Jahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

However, might be it would be a great concern for Tigers about the opener Litton Das, who has been going through a bad-patch that can be conceded as frustrating when he had once again fallen short of a crucial matches of both ODI and T-20 at the Sher-e-Bangla in Dhaka and Jahur Ahmed in Chattogram.

Litton’s two successive ducks in the second and third ODI followed on seven runs in the first ODI at the same venue, and continued the poor run scoring only 12 runs off 10 balls in the first T20  - the exception being a bit impressive in the BPL with scoring 199 in six innings including two fifties (55 and 50 and 47, 36) in January.

And if the quality of his ball-striking on that occasion showed the levels, Litton can get back his form when his eye is in, he is certainly aware that he needs to perk up in this tour of England, which would be a huge boost up for the Tigers.  

It might be a plus point for Bangladesh when England will have to play with a limited squad as they have only 12 players to make starting line-up and left no batting options in the bench.

But despite the limitation to form the squad they have a strong bowling attack with Adil Rashid to be the key bowler along with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali performed well at the Sher-e-Bangla recently, he might be getting going with both bat and ball. 

 Bangladesh’s big advantage is, they have a balanced squad in respect to batting, bowling and fielding and can expect to continue their performances.  

Bangladesh's bowling was good in the first game, but Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Shakib would have to be better at the initial stage of their 20 overs.