adminmorning.
Having come from behind on Sunday to level the series 1-1 with a six-wicket victory, Zimbabwe captain, Brendan Taylor, believes they have the momentum to upset Bangladesh and earn another win in front of their home crowd.
Taylor respects their opponents who have vowed that they will do all they can to take the ODi series after the two teams shared the Test contest.
Bangladesh coach, Shane Jurgensen, badly wants his men to win this showdown.
Taylor told The Herald yesterday that they have to put an all-round performance, similar to their batting show on Sunday and how they bowled for the first 40 overs, and he believes his men can come to the party.
“It’s the final, it’s the decider so we are dedicated and we just have to carry on with the momentum that we set on Sunday in the second game, our top order batted well and so did the middle with Sean Williams and Malcolm Waller wrapping the game for us,” said Taylor.
“Vusi (Sibanda) is an experienced player and we want him to put up his hands and contribute well to the team because we are banking on the more experienced players for us to win the game tomorrow (today).
“We have got to have mental and self belief if we are to win the game so we have to be on the right path, it obviously is not going to be easy beating Bangladesh because they would like to win the game as much as we do.
“But I am sure the game will be down to who is going to bat better, we have to expect a tough challenge and hold our nerve longer on the crease.”
With the clinical win on Sunday, the hosts have a psychological advantage as this was their first victory in this format of the game after six consecutive losses.
That they still made progress, and romped to an easy win after losing batting mainstay Hamilton Masakadza early, must have been re-assuring.
Sibanda finally came to life having been dropped for the first ODI due to poor performance and ended up just one run shy of a half century but he knows that, having got the start, he should have done more.
Taylor, Butt, Sean Williams and Waller made sure Zimbabwe tasted victory.
“The bowling department was excellent especially the new ball partnership (of Kyle Jarvis and Tendai Chatara) they got early wickets,” said Taylor.
“This is the kind of performance that we are looking forward to tomorrow (today) because we want to try and execute everything in the best way possible.
“Our biggest advantage is playing at home, we know the conditions much better and we have the fans in front of us but we are cautious because we know that Bangladesh have the potential to bounce back strongly.
“We batted badly in the first ODI but we realised we should have batted well and it is all going to be about batting well.”
Jurgensen said his side was not worried by the fact that Zimbabwe levelled the series, hinting that they will make just one change to the side that lost on Sunday.
“We have been in such a situation in the last two series, this is nothing new to us but first I must give credit to Zimbabwe who batted well in the second ODI and for us to win we need to do better than the way we played on Sunday.
“We definitely need to win the series, it is the hope and aim of every international cricket team, this is a fight between the least ranked Test playing nations so getting the better of the other would boost morale and confidence and we need that.”
The Australian coach said the winning team will need to work hard.
“We all know Zimbabwe are at an advantage, they are at home so they know the conditions better and for us to equal them we need to work harder.
“We are likely going to have one change in the batting line up, our fielding has been much better, we have made less errors and I am happy with that.
“We were lucky Razzak got us to a defendable total but in general we did not bat well. But our main aim is to improve with each series and whatever format we are playing in we need to win all the games,” he said.
Zimbabwe stand-in coach Steve Mangongo has labelled the encounter a “fierce battle”.
“It is going to be a fierce battle because none of wants to lose. We are up for the battle and we have to impress, carry forward the momentum we set in the second ODI.
“Today I have been impressed by my boys, they looked organised and inspired so I am positive because we have a lot of confidence,” said Mangongo.
Zim squad
B. Taylor (Cpt), S. Butt, T. Chatara, E. Chigumbura, K. Jarvis, T. Maruma, H. Masakadza, S. Masakadza, N. M’shangwe, T. Mutombodzi, V. Sibanda, P. Utseya, B. Vitori, M. Waller, S. Williams
Online Reporter