Tigers' chance to get even

A year ago when the first T20I was played at the Bay Oval, Sri Lanka ran New Zealand close before losing by three runs. This footnote will be will be extremely handy for Bangladesh as they search for their first-ever victory in this part of the world against a similar home side today.

But to attain that target the Tigers desperately need their misfiring top-order to come to the party, starting with opener Tamim Iqbal doing the talking with the bat after a somewhat average performance in the last four games including the first T20I at the Mclean Park, which the visitors lost by six wickets and two overs to spare.

One-down Sabbir Rahman also got a start in every game but is yet to make a substantial contribution. If the attacking right-hander can play to his potential, Bangladesh will get the chance of scoring anything beyond 180, which is a good score to defend on this kind of surface.

The game will also mark one last hurrah from the non-performing Soumya Sarker as the team management has decided to stick to the same eleven that featured in the first game. Out for a first-ball duck in the previous game, the left-hander can only think of extending his stay in the side by contributing heavily with the bat. His return to form will be of added importance in the absence of experienced middle-order batsman Mushfiqur Rahim.

Mahmudullah Riyad has hit some sort of form in the last game with a fantastic fifty, but the right-hander needs to build on that solid platform. The bowling has so far been good, apart from the last ten overs in the first two ODIs, but the fielding leaves a lot to be desired. The ground fielding has been ordinary and the catching very disappointing, save one stunner from Shakib Al Hassan in the deep.

In the shortest format of the game ground fielding is very important and on this type of wicket it is more challenging because if you are fielding in the deep you need to attack the ball to prevent an additional run.

This is also applicable if you are batting because you have got the chance to turn a single into a two and a two into a three and it is an area where Bangladesh's top-order batsmen did not fare well. Opener Imrul is perhaps the worst of them all, playing numerous dot balls in between an odd boundary.

Bangladesh have got a few brilliant fielders, but at the same time they have got a few the captain needs to hide. Unfortunately they are the pace bowlers in the team.

So far the Tigers have not contributed as a unit. They need to do that if they are to turn an opportunity into a victory and stay alive in the three-match series.