Bangladesh Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto stressed on total team effort rather than one or two individual brilliances as his side is looking to win the third and final ODI against hosts New Zealand in a bid to avoid a whitewash in the series, reports BSS.
The Tigers lost the rain-hit first game by 44 runs on DLS method before suffering a seven-wicket defeat in the second game, which not only confirmed their series defeat but also extended their losing streak in ODI format on New Zealand soil to 18.
Soumya Sarkar hammered a landmark 151 ball-169 in the second game and he was ably supported by Mushfiqur Rahim's 45 but their effort went in vain because of the lackluster effort of others.
"There are few individual performances but we couldn't play as a team, which caused our defeats according to me," Shanto said ahead of the third and final ODI which will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at McLean Park in Napier.
"We need a bit more from the team, more partnerships. I still believe we have the ability to beat the opposition on their own soil. I see every match as an opportunity. I believe we can rewrite history."
In both of the matches, Bangladesh showed below par performance on good batting track. The top order failed to stabilize the innings, which was key in their defeats. At the same time, apart from Shoriful Islam no one could bowl with authority.
"The top order needs to click. Otherwise it is not possible for an individual to win the game. In the last game, Soumya carried the innings but apart from Mushfiqur, no one could give him the adequate support," he added.
"Rishad Hossain as a new player bowled a good spell while Shoriful also bowled well with the new ball. I think if we can play as a team, we'll do well."
It's nothing new that the Asian team will get it tough to cope with the New Zealand condition. But according to Shanto, everyone should take a leaf out of Shoriful or Soumya's books to succeed in these conditions.
"If Shoriful and Soumya could thrive in this condition, everyone of us should do also. They played well. So we should follow their footsteps. We should take a leaf out of their books to succeed and win the game," he remarked.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
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