The home advantage, the sound mood the players are in and the momentum should be enough for Bangladesh’s re-appointed one-day captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza for a winning start in the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe which will also be the first win in the 50 overs in 2014.
The first one-day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium today will be the start of the third spell as skipper for the veteran Bangladeshi fast bowler who will be relying on his batsmen to continue with the run-spree that started in the Test series.
However, one cannot rule out Zimbabwe’s chances in the game as their combination of players are more suited for the limited format while with the winter creeping in dew is also expected to play a major role in the outcome of the match.
The ball gets wet and soft and harder to grip in the evening, especially for the spinners, and Zimbabwe’s one-day captain Elton Chigumbura, who is very much familiar with the conditions in this country, should not hesitate a bit to bat first if they win the toss.
The hosts are also aware of the dew factor, for which they included seamer Shafiul Islam as the 14th member in the sqaud and it won’t be surprising to see the spin dominated team play with three quickies.
A lot will also depend on the impact the newly appointed deputy Shakib al Hasan makes. The world No 1 all-rounder was instrumental behind the Test success with 251 runs and 18 wickets and is needless to say the 27-year old’s return to the ODIs after serving the three-month suspension is a relief for both the Tigers coach and captain.
Tigers middle-order batsman Nasir Hossain, who literally spent a quiet year with the bat, was overlooked for the first two games which is crucial for the right-handed’s place in the team. Incoming player Sabbir Rahman should be morally boosted as a good performance in the series might see him get in Bangladesh’s plan for the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the visitors, who also had a dismal year on the field, will be keen for their batters to fire and hope for a positive result. Zimbabwe have won only 11 times out of the 28 one-dayers they played in Bangladesh. With the firepower in the bowling department, they just need their batting to click which can cause enough trouble for the home side.
Bangladesh (9th) and Zimbabwe (10th) are the bottom teams in the ICC ODI rankings and though the hosts outplayed the touring party in the longer format, the same cannot be said for today’s encounter.