Cricket news - A test of acclimatisation for Bangladesh in must-win game

Bangladesh, in Napier, were everything a subcontinent team historically is in their first outing of an overseas tour. They were tentative with their game plans, were found wanting against Lockie Ferguson's pace and Trent Boult's movement on a "slow" deck - as Martin Guptill put it in his post-match presser - and need to make quick amends in this must-win second of the three ODIs in Christchurch.

The bowling looked short of incisiveness too, with New Zealand going on to compile their first century opening stand since December 2017. Can Bangladesh then think about bringing Rubel Hossain for some fire and fury in the middle overs? Because they certainly missed Shakib Al Hasan. Mohammad Saifuddin could have been an ideal candidate to replace but his crucial 41 in the first innings ensured Bangladesh could put in a semblance of fight.

For New Zealand, Guptill's return from bad form and a back injury ended in a very mature hundred. The 32-year-old remained unbeaten on 117 off 116 balls to take his side home with eight wickets to spare, and New Zealand will hope that the newly-formed combination of Guptill and Henry Nicholls, who made a sedate 80-ball 53 in Napier, continues to flourish.

Trent Boult and Ross Taylor continued to play the roles they have been assigned, and a similar performance could seal the series with a match to go, leaving room for some permutations and combinations in their last bilateral assignment before the World Cup in England.

When: Saturday, February 16 at 11:00 AM LOCAL, 3:30 AM IST, 10:00 PM GMT (Feb 15)

Where: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

What to expect: England's Jonny Bairstow hit a 60-ball 104 in the last ODI played here, so runs will be on offer. Even though England won chasing the last time here, it's more of a ground where you bat first, put on a huge total on the board, and then defend it. The weather is set to be clear, with no rain expected.

Teams:

New Zealand

The hosts are likely to stick to their winning combination.

Probable XI: Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w), James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

Bangladesh

The visitors played their full-strength XI from the available squad in Napier, and it's tough to see them making changes after one loss. If at all, Rubel Hossain might be given a go-ahead.

Probable XI: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Mustafizur Rahman

What they said:

"We haven't really had the flat wickets with good carry and bounce like in the previous years. So some of them have been quite hard work and you had to find a way to get through" - Martin Guptill