DAN CAKE ODI CRICKET SERIES History or a turnaround?

It's amazing what good rhythm can do for the Tigers. It tends to give them a new identity, a new realisation. Take the World Cup for instance. They went into it having lost 12 out of their first 13 ODIs in 2014 and their prospects of making it through to the quarterfinals seemed more than just dim.

However, an exemplary performance against Scotland changed all that. What followed next was a heroic turnaround against England and a close contest against hosts New Zealand. 2013 was no different either; with a series win against the West Indies at home leading the Tigers to a rare ODI win against Sri Lanka in their own den.

On Friday, Bangladesh beat Pakistan for the first time in 16 years and talks regarding a series win have already begun dominating different forums. It doesn't matter that this was the same side that the Tigers failed to beat despite having come agonisingly close on so many occasions. It doesn't matter that this is the side that once included players whom some of the Tigers referred to as their inspiration.

All that seems to be a thing of the past now, as the Tigers look to hunt their first series win against Pakistan at Mirpur today. While the Tigers did have a good day on the field, there are still certain grey areas which they will be looking to improve upon. One of those would be the way they played in between overs number 10 and 20 on Friday; they scored just 23 runs and lost two wickets.

One of the main reasons behind that was the lack of singles taken by Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad. That scenario however changed as soon as Mushfiqur Rahim entered the crease. Pacer Abul Hasan, who leaked 42 runs in five overs, is likely to be replaced by skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza today.

The visitors may be down, but they are far from being dusted. Pakistan have a habit of striking in the most unexpected scenarios and if the Tigers think that they are an easy match away from a historic series win, that would be a mistake.

This young side has a bunch of players who can change the game around anytime. Captain Azhar Ali led from the front on Friday with a half-century. Young Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 67 off 58 in the game, seems a nifty player and could do better with a bit more experience.

However, for a comeback they will need their fielders to support their bowlers. They were torn apart by Tamim and Mushfiqur in the first match, but things could have been different had the visitors grasped the opportunities presented to them early on.

Can Pakistan's new-look side make a contest out of this series? Or will Bangladesh create history tonight? Either way, an exciting day of cricket is in store.

from dailystar