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Ahead of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto played down his team's recent form slip in the 50-over format and said they are preparing to produce a turnaround in the series.
Shanto want to maintain the same batting order as much as possible in this series and he acknowledged that star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's absence will affect how they assemble their playing XI. "We are prepared for a turnaround as a team. We did very well between 2015 and 2022, but we had one bad year. That can happen. We always face challenges at this level, so it is important that we start playing well," Shanto said during a pre-match press conference as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "We didn't change [our line-up] much in our last series in New Zealand. Shakib bhai isn't in the team, so there will be a bit more planning. He makes life easy for all of us. We will keep his absence in mind when making the batting order. We are hopeful of having a steady batting line-up," he added. Bangladesh's bowling unit, especially the quicks, will be their main source of hope for victory in Chattogram. In the port city, where the dew is frequently a factor even in March--which is regarded as springtime in Bangladesh--it is typically batting-friendly. "It is important to see how the bowlers adjust to the conditions and wicket in Chattogram. It is definitely a challenge for them. Everyone has to consider the conditions in which they are bowling. We are not worried about how much a bowler is conceding individually. We want to see the bowling unit functioning well as a group," Shanto said. Against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh will also be hoping that Soumya Sarkar, who struck 169 in the second One-Day International in New Zealand last year, performs well. Soumya scored just four extra runs in the series, but he broke Tamim Iqbal's record of the longest overseas innings by a Bangladeshi batter in One-Day Internationals, which stood for 14 years. "[Soumya] played a full series in New Zealand after a long time. He played a big innings in one of the matches. Everyone has to be consistent. There is room for improvement, and Soumya knows about it. He is working on it. His innings in New Zealand was indeed a big deal for our team, especially in those conditions. I am hopeful that he will use his opportunity well," the Bangladesh captain added. Since it's Ramadan, Bangladesh should be prepared to play in front of small crowds at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Shanto claimed he wasn't concerned because he anticipated the crowds to arrive as soon as the team began to perform well. "Everything is okay the moment we win a game. We probably become a bad team after losing one game. The lower hype may be due to the start of Ramadan. We are not worried about it. Those who follow the team, they always come to the ground. I think they become emotional because they expect a lot more from us. We always try to give our best to make them happy," Shanto said. (ANI)
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