After winning the first two matches comfortably, Bangladesh are brimming with confidence as they look to sweep the three-match series against the Netherlands in the third and final T20I on Wednesday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series following their eight-wicket and nine-wicket victories in the first two matches. In doing so, they secured their first-ever bilateral series win against the Dutch.
This is only the second bilateral T20 series between the two sides, with the Netherlands hosting the first back in 2012. That series was drawn 1-1. The victory in that series 13 years ago remains the Dutch side’s only win against Bangladesh in this format across seven meetings to date.
In both matches of the current series, Bangladesh opted to bowl first after winning the toss, and their bowlers did an impeccable job of restricting the Netherlands to paltry totals. The Bangladeshi batters, in turn, faced little pressure and sealed the wins with ease.
In the first match, fast bowler Taskin Ahmed’s 4-28 limited the Dutch side to 137-8, a target Bangladesh chased down in just 13.3 overs, thanks to captain Liton Das’s unbeaten 54 off 29 balls.
In the second match, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed claimed 3-21 to help Bangladesh bowl out the visitors for just 103. Bangladesh, this time led by opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim’s unbeaten 54 off 40 balls, chased the target in 13.1 overs.
“As a captain, I want to win every series, but it’s not always possible. All credit goes to the team members. It was a brilliant effort from the bowlers,” Liton Das said.
“We’ve been in camp here for the last two weeks, and they’ve put in extra effort in practice. There was a little bit of grip in the wicket, but they bowled really well and executed their plans. They knew how to use their variations on this surface.”
Liton described the series victory as crucial given Bangladesh’s upcoming Asia Cup campaign. He believes each win provides a psychological boost as they aim to be the best in Asia.
“This is a crucial win for us because we’re preparing for the Asia Cup. We’ll try to build our team day by day. It’s a good sign that whoever comes into the team delivers on their role. At the end of the day, if you win, everything feels right.”
Bangladesh broke their winning combination in the second game, bringing in Nasum Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Sakib in place of Rishad Hossain and Shoriful Islam. The changes were made to give everyone international exposure ahead of the Asia Cup. Liton also hinted at further changes for the third match.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, will be eyeing a consolation victory after losing the series without much resistance.
