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After beating Bangladesh in the second ODI of the series, New Zealand will be aiming to win the third match as well in order to seal the series. Even in the absence of some of the senior cricketers, in the form of Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Glenn Philips and Tim Southee among a few others, the Black Caps have done a commendable job in the second match. Ish Sodhi was on song, picking up six wickets while with the bat, Tom Blundell showed a lot of character.
Hence, there are a lot of positives for the team at the moment ahead of the ODI World Cup. Even so, there is a lot of room for improvement. Finn Allen and Will Young’s form is a matter of concern. A lack of proper second spinner too is quite visible. These are the areas that the team would expect to improve in the third ODI. Meanwhile, here are three cricketers who can play a crucial role in helping New Zealand seal the series.
3. Henry Nicholls
31-year-old Henry Nicholls played well and hit 49 runs in the last match. In the spin-friendly conditions, he showed a lot of conviction, which should motivate him to do well in the last and final ODI of the series. Notably, he has played only 71 ODIs so far in his career, scoring 1910 runs in the process. It’s the strike rate that he needs to work on at the moment.
2. Tom Blundell
Following the top order collapse, Tom Blundell and Henry Nicholls took care of the proceedings in the last match. Blundell hit 68 runs in 66 deliveries and helped the Black Caps post 254 runs on the board. Interestingly, he has played only eight ODI matches so far in his career, scoring 214 runs in the process.
1. Ish Sodhi
Ish Sodhi was exceptional in the last match, picking up six wickets in the process. He absolutely decimated the Bangladesh batting unit, helping New Zealand win the match by 86 runs. Not to say, he will once again be extremely vital in the final ODI of the series.