<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Bangladesh hope the rain to stay away and allow them to play the second game without an interruption as they eye to take a lead in the three-match ODI series, to be held tomorrow (Friday) at County Ground, Chelmsford.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first match was washed out due to rain after Bangladesh apparently kept them in a position of dominance. The Tigers who were put into bat first, racked up 246-9, a score that deemed not satisfactory but they reduced Ireland to 65-3 in 16.3 overs before the rain arrived.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With rain in the forecast, the question was why captain Tamim Iqbal didn't introduce spinners from two ends to complete 20 overs as early as possible, which might bring DLS to the fore to determine the result. Specially Shakib Al Hasan was not introduced into the attack, raising a question.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But according to batter Najmul Hossain Shanto who made second highest 44, after Mushfiqur Rahim's 61, said the batter couldn't bat as it was expected.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The wicket was batting friendly and it was possible to score 290-300 runs. But what we did was to assess the wicket first before going after the bowlers that didn't go well for us," Shanto said after the match.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We couldn't build up any significant partnership, which was another point to note. If we can build up a good partnership we can give us a shot to put up 300 plus total."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh had just two fifty plus partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz adding 65 and Shanto and Towhid Hridoy combining for 50 runs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The top order batters need to take responsibility. But unfortunately we couldn't make our start count. It was our duty to make the partnership bigger but we failed to do this. Hopefully we will learn from the mistakes. Hopefully we will have a full game in the next match and we'll take a lead," he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to stat, Ireland are no match for the Tigers. Of the 14 ODI matches between the two sides, Bangladesh won nine and lost just two while three matches were washed out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ireland won the maiden encounter between the two sides in 2007 ODI World Cup in Bridgetown, West Indies but last time they beat Bangladesh in ODI cricket in 2010 at Belfast. They could never put up any resistance in the matches they played against Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Very recently, Bangladesh won the three-match ODI series between the two sides at home by 2-0 and that too breaking several records. They also put up their highest ODI total 349-6 in the second with Mushfiqur Rahim hitting the fastest century by a Bangladeshi player, smashing ton off 60 balls but the match was washed out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Bangladesh also won the three-match T20 series by 2-1 and beat Ireland in the one-off Test at home.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>Line Ups:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ireland: Andy Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>