Tigers look to seal series with improved performance
Improvement in the second game is imperative given how they scraped through to win the first game against the lesser fancied UAE.
Bangladesh will look to better their performances and win the T20I series 2-0 against UAE in their second and final match of the series at the Dubai Cricket Ground today.
Improvement in the second game is imperative given how they scraped through to win the first game against the lesser fancied UAE.
The hosts took the game to the deep after Bangladesh posted 158-5, following a shaky start and were looking to cause an upset until the dismissal of Aayan Afzal Khan.
As the UAE were reduced to 124-8 in the 17th over, the game looked to tilt toward Bangladesh but No.7 Aayan along with No. 10 batter Junaid Siddique sprung a surprise, with a 24-run partnership, which took them very close to victory.
Despite winning the game, Bangladesh showed very little improvement in any department.
Their batting still heavily relied on Afif Hossain who continued his good form and scored 77 not out in Bangladesh's total of 158.
But the biggest disappointment was the number of dropped catches and the shoddy ground fielding.
This was the match that Bangladesh played without any senior players after a quite long time but Afif Hossain didn't think the seniors' absence made things worse, even though the team struggled at times against the hosts.
"There is no extra pressure on us even if we don't have a few senior players. We always have to play the best XI. I hope I can score runs in the next match as well," Afif said after the match.
Afif felt that the wicket was difficult to bat on early in the innings which was why Bangladesh's top-order struggled.
They lost five wickets for 77 runs and there was a fear of not getting enough on the board.
But the unbeaten 81-run sixth wicket partnership from 54 balls between Afif and skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan who made 35 not out off 25 balls gave the side a total to defend.
"It was a little difficult in the beginning. The ball was gripping. The top-order could not do well. I hope they will do well in the next match. It's not a problem at all."
Ahead of the second match, Bangladesh might look to tweak things and give an opportunity to Soumya Sarkar in place of Sabbir Rahman, who scored a duck in the first match.
They might also look at Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain and look to give them an opportunity in place of Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin, who looked unimpressive with the ball in the first match.
Overall, Bangladesh have played 134 T20I matches, winning 46 and losing 85 while three matches have ended in a no result.
The match which starts at 8 pm will be televised live on Gazi TV.