Fahima intends to rely on strength to stifle Aussies

Bangladesh leg-spinner Fahima Khatun said that the Tigresses intend to play to their strengths to stifle Australia in order to stay alive in the three-match ODI series.

The Tigresses lost the series opener by 118 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday and will have to thwart the world champions in the second ODI today to prevent a series win for the visitors.

It was the bowlers who had the Aussies reeling at five down for 78 in the first match before Annabel Sutherland notched up a fifty (58 off 76) and built a 67-run stand with Alana King, who smashed five sixes and two fours in an unbeaten 31-ball 46, to rescue the visitors, eventually helping them to 213 for seven.

Bangladesh failed to put up a fight with the bat and were bundled out for 95 in 36 overs.

"Our target will be the same in the second match. We will look to use our strength in bowling and field well to limit them to the lowest total possible," Fahim told reporters in the pre-match press conference yesterday.

"I believe that our bowlers bowled very well because they've scored 300-plus totals against other teams. They struggled against our bowlers and managed to go past 200 due to our mistakes.

"We have been working hard as a fielding group for the past few months. The lapses [missed catches and fielding] just happened I suppose; otherwise, we could've restricted a team like Australia below 150," the leg-spinner said.

Fahima was on the receiving end of some big blows as she was taken for 29 runs in the final over of the innings. After conceding a single in the first ball, the subsequent five went for four sixes and a four, all hit by King

"The team management entrusted me to bowl the final over. I tried my best, perhaps it was King who ended up playing really well. It's a part of the game. We will try to play well tomorrow," Fahima said.

Sutherland acknowledged that her side were taken aback by the difficulty that the conditions in Mirpur brought but said she was glad to have fought it out.

"The conditions were very difficult, more than what we had thought. I am happy to have adapted to such difficult conditions considering the way the ball spun and bounced. It [Australia's batting effort] showed the importance of partnerships throughout an innings. You have to understand the value of your wicket and stay in the crease so that you can capitalise later on. I am happy to spend time in difficult conditions," Sutherland said.