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World T20 2021 | Bangladesh vying for smooth entry into Super 12 against rookie Papua New Guinea

Bangladesh were presumably the strongest side in the first round of the T20 World Cup being played in the UAE and Oman and Papua New Guinea were the new kids on the block at this level.

The world was all but sure of Bangladesh’ advance to the Super 12 round of the competition while any sort of success for Papua New Guinea would have made a great compelling story for the development of the game.

Two games later, both of them go head to head against each other and have little to no difference in prospect for the next round. Bangladesh have won one of the two games played so far and stand just one game and win away from advancing to the next level while Papua New Guinea have been proven limited by others.

The future did not come swiftly for Bangladesh as they were rocked in the very first game by Scotland, as their timid batting left a lot to be desired for the bowlers who had done their job pretty well.

Batting a concern for Bangladesh

Chasing a decent total of 141 runs against Scotland, Bangladesh batsmen were conservative in their approach, and especially the experienced middle-order trio of Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan batted with poor strike rates and left the lower order to get a lot of runs in the end overs.

They could neither get their foot off the pedal nor could they preserve a lot of wickets in their hands and in the end, the Scottish men were all over them and handed a demoralising loss.

The game against Oman could well have another batting disaster for them and the end of their T20 World Cup if not for the best of Shakib just at the right moment.

He scored 29-ball 42 with the bat to set up a good score and the spinners, as they usually do on supporting pitches, made light work of the Oman batting unit.

Shakib termed the win over Oman a victory that would bring relief to the camp, but he too will underline the need of continuing with the good work with the bat. They are all but through but if they want the world to recognise Bangladesh as a force to reckon with, they will have to find their best by the end of the first phase against Papua New Guinea.

Exposure for Papua New Guinea

While the Bangla Tigers will be eager to get over the line in the game and tournament with a win, the PNG boys are eager to express themselves and take each game as a big opportunity of playing against the best in the world.

"Getting exposure, playing more games and testing ourselves against quality opposition would be good. If we can get more exposure we might be able to express ourselves better," PNG skipper Assad Vala said.

They have not been able to bring one upset in the tournament but in case they inflict one over Bangladesh, they can be a famous giant killer to derail Bangladesh’s rather smooth drive.

Match Details

Bangladesh vs Papua New Guinea, Match 6, Group B

Venue: AI Amerat Cricket Ground Oman Cricket, (Ministry Turf 1)

Date & Time: October 21 at 3:30 PM IST and 2:00 PM Local Time

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network

Pitch Report

The pitches at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground have been on the slower side and Bangladesh would like to have similar conditions for one game in the first round of the tournament. 

If the surface will aid spin, Bangladesh should run over Papua New Guinea with substantial ease.

Probable XI

Bangladesh

Liton Das, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah (C), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (WK), Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

Papua New Guinea

Tony Ura, Lega Siaka, Assad Vala (C), Charles Amini, Sese Bau, Simon Atai, Norman Vanua, Kiplin Doriga (WK), Chad Soper, Kabua Morea, Nosaina Pokana

CE Fantasy XI

Mushfiqur Rahim(C), Naim Sheikh, Sese Bau, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (C), Assad Vala, Mahedi Hasan, Charles Amini, Mustafizur Rahman (VC), Chad Soper, Mohammad Saifuddin

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World T20 2021 | Shakib Al Hasan highlights scope for improvement after desperate win over Oman

Re-establishing his all-around credentials and reclaiming his status as Bangladesh’ biggest match-winner, Shakib Al Hasan put his hands up just at the right time for his side in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Bangladesh have not been at their best in the ongoing T20 World Cup but just when they were on the verge of another shocking loss that could have ended their journey in the tournament inside the first round, Shakib Al Hasan shone bright both with the ball and bat to help them get over the line against the hosts Oman. They had suffered an embarrassing defeat against Scotland and found themselves under enormous pressure once again before Shakib forged an 80 run partnership with the opener Mohammad Naim. He later came back with the ball and took three wickets including the crucial wicket of Jatinder Singh, who was looking set on a 32-ball 40. He was awarded the Man of the Match award for his all-round contribution to Bangladesh’s win over Oman. He outlined the role played by the duo of Mohammad Saifuddin and Mahedi Hasan and said that their spells that yielded only 30 runs for the opposition brought them back in the game. He also said that the morale in the Bangladesh camp would be lighter after a much-needed win that keeps them going in the tournament. "I think the bowling of Saifuddin and Mahedi was the turning point as they probably had given less than 30 runs to bring us back in the game. I think the win is certainly relieving and I feel the atmosphere in the dressing room will be better after this win," Shakib said. However, he did not overlook the struggle of his side so far in the tournament and outlined their loss at the hands of Scotland and the hard work required for the win over Oman. He did not fall short of praise for the Scotts though and said that there are no favourites in the format and that any team who get two or three best performances on a particular day can defeat anyone. "I think the loss against Scotland was disappointing and we must credit them while even today we had to work hard to earn the win against Oman. Look, we must credit the associate countries as they play despite all the hurdles and they are playing good cricket so I feel they deserve all the credit. In the T20 format there is no favourite as everyone has to play well and as this is a short format only one or two players can change the momentum or have a huge impact behind a win,” Shakib added. Bangladesh have been found wanting in the tournament so far, especially in the batting department and Shakib conceded the scope of improvement for his fellow batsmen in the side. He said that the batsmen are underperforming both at the start and towards the end of an innings. He highlighted the target of 170 runs that would be sufficient for the bowlers to win them the game as a major goal going forward. "There is room for improvement in the batting as we have scored 150 runs and we can add 20 to 25 runs to it. If we can add 15 runs in the power play and 10 runs at the end it can be done and we are capable of it. If we can score 170 runs with the bowling attack we can fight against any team and we need this improvement,” Shakib concluded. Bangladesh are set to play their last game against Papua New Guinea and a win over them will ost certainly seal a place for them in the super 12 phase of the competition.