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Match Details
Date: November 20, 2021
Time: 1:30 PM IST
Venue: Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
Preview: The 3-match T20I series between Bangladesh and Pakistan kicked off with a thrilling contest with the visitors clinching the victory in the end. With no day break in between, the focus now shifts to the 2nd match of the series which will be played in Dhaka on Saturday. While Pakistan will turn up for the match in hope of sealing the series, the home side would be raring to take it to a decider. With so much at stake, the stage is set for another exciting game of cricket between two quality sides.
Head-to-head
Pitch Report: The match will be played at the same venue i.e. Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Dhaka, possibly suggesting another low-scoring game could well be on the cards. The wicket is going to be quite challenging for the batsmen as there will be lot of assistance for both pacers and spinners. Considering it will be an afternoon game once again, batting under the sun won't be too easy and teams might prefer chasing. Notably, a first-innings total of around 130-140 could also prove to be a fighting score in this contest.
Team Analysis
Bangladesh: The home side are missing a few key players like Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal etc. who have been a vital part of their batting order. Their absence has left a huge void which was quite evident in the first game. The top three failed to reach the double-figure but performances by Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan were the real positives. If the other batters can chip in, they can give fight to Pakistan especially considering the fact that their bowling looks quite lethal with the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Mehedi Hasan.
Pakistan: The Men in Green were sensational with the ball in hand as Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim produced an exhibition of fast bowling. However, they would be slightly concerned with their batting performance in the first game. Apart from Fakhar Zaman, none of the top-order batsmen looked comfortable in the middle and they had to rely on heroics from Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz to get themselves over the line in a low-scoring match. Although it speaks volumes about the kind of depth they have in their side, Babar Azam would be hoping for a much better batting display from his side in second match.
Squads
Bangladesh: Mahmudullah (c), Naim Sheikh, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Shohidul Islam, Akbar Ali.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir.
Conclusion: Considering the form of players and the sequence of events in 1st T20I, there is no doubt that Pakistan will have an upper hand as they have the depth in their side which can help them come back into the contest even with their backs against the wall. However, the home side would take lot of positives from the first game and a slightly better performance with the bat might actually give them a chance on Saturday.
Match Prediction
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