New Zealand Bangladesh ODI Series 
1st Match Played at University Oval, Dunedin 
New Zealand 
Brief Scorecard: 132/2 in 21.2 Over (Henry Nicholls 49*, Martin Guptill 38, Devon Conway 27, Taskin Ahmed 1/23, Hasan Mahmood 1/49) 
Bangladesh 131 All Out in 41.5 Overs (Mahmudullah Riad 27, Mushfiqur Rahim 23, Liton Das 19, Mehedi Hasan 14, Trent Boult 4/27, Mitchell Santner 2/23, James Neesham 2/27) 
New Zealand Won by 8 Wickets 
Player of The Match: Trent Boult 

Hopeless and pathetic looking Bangladesh got bolted by Trent Boult and got swept into the Tasman Sea in the first of the three matches ODI series loosing by 8 Wickets. Batting first on a seaming green top bouncy University Oval wicket of Dunedin under a bit cloud cover Bangladesh huffed and muffed scoring 131 all out in 41.5 overs. Sizzling hot New Zealand whistled past scoring 132/2 in 21.2 overs. At no stage of the game Bangladesh could create any competition. Looking at the way team Bangladesh struggled made this writer flash back upon the memories of 1970s of Bangladesh early days in international cricket.

Lot has been told about Bangladesh preparation. Dan Vittorie and Bangladesh team management have told a lot. This was the third ODI Bangladesh played on the venue and this was the worst performance of Bangladesh. 

Bangladesh lost the toss and was asked to bat on off course a challenging condition to bat. The condition required Bangladesh playing with experienced players more specifically batsmen with better skill and technique. We are not sure Tamim was full match fit. He could be out on the first ball of the match. Boult virually curbed in the air. Tamim survived. A few balls later he made a desperate upper cut. The ball flew over the fence. The balls of Boult and Henry started swerving in the air. Tamim tried to fend blindly a Boult delivery and was plumb in front. Liton was trying his level best. In such a difficult situation Soumya cannot be an ideal batsman. Better technically equipped Mithun or Mahmudullah could be promoted. Soumya came and went. Losing 19/2 by the 5th wicket Bangladesh rocked into the back foot from where Bangladesh could not recover. Apart from Boult and Henry, Neesham and Santner also vexed and teased inept Bangladesh batting. Liton and Mushfique resisted for a while. Mushfique could have leave the ball alone. He had no room to cut, yet he tried in vain. Mithun was unlucky getting run out in bizarre fashion. The best resistance came from Mahmudullah scoring 27 of 54 deliveries. Wonder this batsman Bangladesh team management has discarded from Test team. Boult taking 4/ 27 alone destroyed the backbone of Bangladesh. If another master bowler Tim Southee played the disaster could be deeper.

New Zealand made a festival cake walk while they responded. Riding on flamboyant Guptill scoring 38 of only 19 deliveries Black Caps raced to 54 before even 6th over was even finished. Rookie Hasan Mahmood tried bowling fast without setting his bearing right and was ruthlessly plundered by red-hot Guptill. After the fall of Guptill to Taskin Nicholls and Conway knocked out for a while cleaning off the rust. The pair adding 65 for the second wicket almost won the match. Hasan Mahmood finally got a reward in his debut test taking the wicket of Conway. Nichols finished 49 not out. New Zealand won by 8 wickets with more than half of their overs left.
Wickets at Hagley Oval and Basin Reserve won't be very different. If Tamim is not fit let him not play. Let Bangladesh choose fitter players and better technically equipped batsmen. There should be horses for the courses. Not someone pushed from a long-distance telephone call. 

Why Bangladesh appeared without the most experienced pace bowler inform Rubel? Why experienced all-rounder having past proven record of playing well at Dunedin Saifuddin was not in the team? Why on a wicket having no scope for success of an off-spinner Bangladesh picked Mehedy Hasan? Why on such a seaming condition Soumya was picked? Why Batting order could not be adjusted? Who will answer these? Captain Tamim, Head Coach or Habibul Bashar Sumon accompanying the team? 

BDST: 1246 HRS, MAR 20, 2021
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