New Zealand vs Bangladesh Prediction: Bangladesh are leading series at 1-0

New Zealand and Bangladesh are going head to head in the 2nd Match of T20 Series at Bay Oval, New Zealand on 29 Dec 2023. Bangladesh continued their form from the ODI series and have a lead of 1-0 in the T20 series. Who will win this game of cricket?

The series opener saw the home team taken by surprise by a motivated visiting team. Despite being limited to a final total of 134 for nine, the Kiwis were defeated by the Tigers who reached the target of 135 runs with five wickets remaining and eight deliveries to spare. Bangladesh's victory was more convincing than the scoreline indicates.

The Black Caps faced early troubles, losing one wicket at three runs and then four wickets at 20 runs. All-rounders Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santner contributed 48 and 23 runs respectively, bringing some respectability to the team's score. Their performance will be crucial, especially if the top order fails again.

Santner and Tim Southee were the standout bowlers for New Zealand in the first match, each taking one wicket for 16 runs in four overs. Their combination of spin and seam worked well and could prove effective again if conditions are favorable.

The Kiwis suffered a defeat to a lower-ranked team in the T20I rankings recently. Instead of securing a series victory, they now need to avoid defeat and try again later this week.

Daryl Mitchell, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (WK), James Neesham, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner (C), Adam Milne, Ben Sears.

Bangladesh enters this match with a good amount of momentum. They emerged victorious in the last match of the recent ODI series against New Zealand and currently hold an early advantage in the T20I series. A victory in this match would mark a historic T20I series win on foreign soil. Litton Das played a pivotal role in the successful pursuit in Napier, ending the match undefeated with a score of 42. His vast experience and understanding of batting in unfamiliar conditions make him a reliable asset for Bangladesh. Mahedi Hasan was named the player of the match in the series opener, showcasing his skills as a spinner by taking two crucial wickets. Utilizing the same strategy could prove beneficial for Hasan and the team. Bangladesh is demonstrating their ability to not only survive, but also flourish in the absence of key players such as Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. Another victory in this match would further emphasize their seriousness and determination leading up to the T20 World Cup next year.

Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das (WK), Afif Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Towhid Hridoy, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.

The upcoming match will take place at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Thus far, no team has been successful in winning a T20I while batting second at this venue. On the other hand, eight teams have emerged as winners when batting first. It is highly likely that the team winning the toss in this match will choose to bat first.

In the last three T20I matches played at this ground, the first-innings totals have been 238, 191, and 163 respectively. This suggests that the venue is conducive to high-scoring matches, and a first-innings score of 180 or higher can be considered competitive. As a result, it would be beneficial to have two specialist spinners in the team.

Although rain is predicted in the days leading up to the match, it may not necessarily affect the matchday. However, the conditions could be affected by the rain, potentially rendering the playing surface slightly underprepared.

New Zealand holds the advantage of playing on their homeground and possesses an abundance of playing resources, making it likely for them to bounce back. However, they will face a tough challenge from a motivated Bangladesh team.