Toss vital as Tigers aim to clinch series

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Hashmatullah Shahidi – captains of Bangladesh and Afghanistan teams – will be looking to the heavens to win the toss before the first ball is bowled in the series-decider of the three-match ODI series between the sides at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium today.

The match will get underway at 4:00 pm and will be telecast live on T Sports and Nagorik TV.

The first two matches saw the chasing teams fall considerably short of their targets as the wicket got slower, making run-scoring and keeping up with climbing run-rates difficult. As things stand, both sides would be looking to win the toss and bat first with the primary aim of posting a total of around 250 as Afghanistan's 235 and Bangladesh's 252 proved to be more than enough in the first two matches, respectively.

Bangladesh imploded in the first ODI as they endured a crushing collapse, losing seven wickets in 24 balls while chasing 236, leading to a 92-run thrashing. However, the inclusion of Nasum Ahmed and Jaker Ali Anik helped the Tigers to a 68-run win in the next match which levelled the series. Nasum was the most impactful player for the Tigers as he gave them momentum with the bat, courtesy of a 24-ball 25, before scalping three wickets to finish off the game for his side. The 29-year-old will once again be a key figure in the third match alongside the Tigers' batting effort which will be under focus.