Match: New Zealand v Bangladesh, 2nd T20I
Date: 6 January, Friday
Time: 10am SGT/7:30am IST/2am GMT
Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
TV Channel: In Singapore, there is no live TV coverage of the match.
Live streaming: Sky Go
Overview
Bangladesh have not got anything going their way so far in the ongoing New Zealand tour. The Tigers have been completely outplayed in the first four games of the tour, which includes a 3-0 whitewash in the One Day International Series.
Batting woes for visitors
On Tuesday, Mashrafe Mortaza's men suffered another crushing defeat as they lost the first Twenty20 International in Napier by six wickets. Fingers can be pointed at the batting failure of the visitors. Ordinary performances from their batsmen in conditions that are suitable for amassing runs have been letting their team down in this trip.
Openers Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal have been far from their best and scored 113 (3 games) and 126 (4 games), respectively. Middle order batsmen have also not come the rescue of the team with Sabbir Rahman, 89 runs (4 games), Soumya Sarkar 1 run (2 games) and Shakib Al Hasan 98 ( 4 games) struggling as well.
Bangladesh batsmen have not given their bowlers enough to work with against New Zealand, who have a solid batting unit. It is high time Bangladesh step up their game with the bat or might see the T20 series slipping away from them.
Will New Zealand be tested in Bay Oval?
On the other hand, Kane Williamson's men will be eager to clinch their second consecutive series win after tough times in India and Australia last year. The world number one side will be without Neil Broom as the stand-by opener suffered a broken finger. George Worker will partner Kane Williamson, who played a match-winning knock of 73 in Napier, at the top.
Newcomers Lockie Ferguson and Ben Wheeler impressed with five wickets between them and all-round Colin de Grandhomme made his presence felt with a quickfire 41 on Tuesday.
The hosts have not been tested so far in the tournament but with a slow-paced track, similar to the ones in Bangladesh, on offer at Bay Oval, they might have to reassess their strategy. Friday's game will be Bangladesh's best chance to make an impact in the tour as well.
TV Schedule
Bangladesh: BTV, Channel 9
New Zealand: Sky Sport 1
Pakistan: PTV Sports
Middle East: OSN Sports
UK: Sky Sports 2
Sri Lanka: TNL TV
US: Willow TV
Team News
New Zealand
Possible XI: Williamson (c), Munro, Bruce, Worker, Neesham, Anderson, Ronchi (wk), Santner, Ferguson, Henry, Wheeler
Bangladesh
Possible XI: Mortaza (c), Tamim, Imrul, Sabbir, Mahmudullah, Shakib, Nurul (wk), Mosaddek, Taskin, Mustafizur, Rubel
