New Zealand Seal Series Victory Despite Soumya Sarkar's Heroics

Despite a stunning innings from Soumya Sarkar, Bangladesh fell short in the second ODI against New Zealand, ultimately losing the match and the series in Nelson on December 20.

New Zealand elected to bowl first and made an early impact, with Jacob Duffy picking up two quick wickets. In the face of the batting collapse, it was up to Sarkar to revive Bangladesh's fortunes. After a rapid start, including hitting three boundaries in an over off William O Rourke, Sarkar adopted a more cautious approach. He formed brief partnerships with Towhid Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim, with the latter contributing significantly.

Sarkar and Rahim built a steady partnership of 91 runs, until Rahim fell victim to Duffy, who claimed his third wicket. Left with only the lower-order for support, Sarkar began to accelerate his innings, consistently finding the boundaries. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Sarkar remained at the crease until the final over, recording his highest ODI score. Thanks to his heroic efforts, Bangladesh managed to post a competitive total.

However, New Zealand's top order made the chase appear effortless. Rachin Ravindra and his opening partner amassed a blistering 76-run stand in just 11 overs before Hasan Mahmud dismissed Ravindra. Henry Nicholls joined Will Young, and the pair formed a fluent 128-run partnership, bringing New Zealand closer to victory. Although both players fell short of a century, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell ensured a comfortable finish, propelling New Zealand to victory with 22 balls to spare.

Final Scores: Bangladesh 291 in 49.5 overs (Soumya Sarkar 169, Mushfiqur Rahim 45) lost to New Zealand 296/3 in 46.2 overs (Henry Nicholls 95, Will Young 89, Rachin Ravindra 45) by 7 wickets.