Tigers' Venues Down Under
On February 26, Bangladesh's opponents are yet another giant contenders fresh from their laurels from the T20 World Cup. At the MCG, however, Sri Lanka are not a team in any of the eight occasions that has gone beyond the score of 300 or the seven times that the team total was in the 290s. Yet, with a handful of veterans on the verge of retirement keen on a follow-up championship act after the T20 trophy would be a fitting finale to their glorious careers. The MCG is also the venue of one of the quarterfinals and the final as well. It isn't so much any razzmatazz of the MCG that is intimidating. It is a favourite ground for hosts Australia but other reputable teams are equally passionate to go in for the kill at this prestigious ground at least as a dress rehearsal for one of the quarterfinals or the final itself. Here is another interesting stat. For ODI teams batting first in 86 matches for the last 25 years, 44 were won by teams batting first and 40 lost. Bangladesh will probably decide to bat first to avoid chasing a tall total.
The author is a marketing professional from the airline and telecommunications industry. He is a former Bangladesh national cricket player.
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