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Zimbabwe
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will play the second ODI match at Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe will enter this game with confidence after their dominant innings-and-85-run win in the one-off Test. Zimbabwe then went on to win the first ODI despite scoring a modest total.
They got all out for 141 but then restricted Bangladesh to just 116 all out. Richard Ngarava will continue his strong start as captain, while Bangladesh will look to respond quickly under Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Bangladesh will still have a slight edge based on their recent white-ball form. They have won 4 of their last 5 T20Is, while Zimbabwe have managed just 2 wins in the same period.
The head-to-head record also suggests a close contest, with Zimbabwe winning 3 of the last 5 meetings and Bangladesh winning 2. Chasing could once again play a big role, as 3 of those 5 matches were won by the team batting second.
Nahid Rana has taken 26 wickets in his last 9 matches, including a 6-wicket haul in his previous game, making him Bangladesh's most in-form wicket-taking bowler heading into this ODI.
The betting tip is...
Nahid Rana - Over 2.5 wickets
61 %
39 %
ZimbabweBangladeshZimbabwe gained plenty of confidence after their dominant win in the one-off Test. Their top order struggled, but the lower order and tailenders made important contributions and finished with the highest scores of the match.
That performance showed the team's batting depth. Ben Curran and Brian Bennett remained the key batters at the top of the order heading into the ODI series. Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans led the bowling attack after taking three wickets each in the Test.
Blessing Muzarabani and Newman Nyamhuri also impressed with two wickets apiece. Zimbabwe carried a balanced squad into the first ODI, with experienced all-rounders and a pace attack that performed well in home conditions.
Bennett, Curran and Ngarava are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Wessly Madhevere, Clive Madande (wk), Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava (c), Blessing Muzarabani and Newman Nyamhuri
Bangladesh suffered a setback before the series as Litton Das was ruled out of the first ODI because of injury. However, Litton Das is expected to recover in time for the second and third ODIs on July 9 and 11.
The squad still had plenty of experience with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Shanto and Towhid Hridoy were Bangladesh's most consistent batters, with both scoring more than 375 runs in their last 10 matches.
Nahid Rana leads the pace attack after taking 26 wickets in his last 9 matches. Mustafizur Rahman also remained in good form with 16 wickets in his previous 8 matches.
Sarkar, Shanto and Rana are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Nurul Hasan/Litton Das (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Nahid Rana
Bangladesh will start as slight favourites because of their stronger batting depth and experienced bowling attack. Zimbabwe will compete well at home, but their top order will need a much better performance to challenge Bangladesh. The fast bowlers are likely to dominate again if the pitch offers early movement.
Nahid Rana will be a major threat after taking 26 wickets in his last 9 matches, including a 6-wicket haul in his previous outing. Mustafizur Rahman will also provide strong support with the new ball.
Zimbabwe's pace attack can pick up wickets, but Bangladesh's bowling unit looks more consistent. Bangladesh are expected to control the match and have a good chance of taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
