the innings in place of usual openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro. The duo got off to a solid start, putting on 60 runs for the first wicket before Conway was dismissed for 27. Ravindra, playing in only his second ODI, continued to impress with a composed 40 before falling victim to a run-out.
Despite the early wickets, Williamson held the innings together with a masterful display of batting. Coming in at number three, he took his time to settle in and then started to find the boundaries with ease. He played a mixture of elegant strokes and powerful shots, constantly rotating the strike and putting pressure on the Bangladesh bowlers.
However, in the 31st over of the innings, disaster struck for Williamson. He was struck on the thumb by a sharp delivery from pacer Taskin Ahmed and immediately felt the pain. He called for the physio, who attended to him on the field, but it was evident that he was in discomfort. After a brief discussion with the team management, Williamson decided to retire hurt and headed back to the pavilion.
The injury to Williamson caused concerns in the New Zealand camp as he had only recently recovered from a serious knee injury. The team management is waiting for scan results to determine the extent of the damage and the potential impact on Williamson’s participation in the remaining matches of the tournament.
Despite the loss of their captain, New Zealand continued their dominance over Bangladesh. Tom Latham, who took over the captaincy in Williamson’s absence, played a responsible innings, scoring an unbeaten 33 and guiding the team to victory alongside Ross Taylor, who remained not out on 21. The duo calmly chased down the target with more than seven overs to spare, showcasing the depth and quality in the New Zealand batting lineup.
Earlier in the match, Bangladesh had posted a competitive total of 245 thanks to some gritty batting from their top order. Opener Liton Das provided a solid start with a fluent 40, while Mushfiqur Rahim top-scored with 79. However, the Bangladesh middle-order failed to capitalize on the good start, and the team struggled to push the score beyond 250.
For New Zealand, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel was the pick of the bowlers, scalping three wickets for 34 runs in his 10 overs. The pacers, led by Trent Boult and Matt Henry, supported Patel well and kept the Bangladesh batsmen in check throughout the innings.
Despite the comfortable victory, New Zealand will be worried about the fitness of their captain. Williamson’s batting has been a crucial factor in their success in recent years, and his absence could significantly impact the team’s chances in the upcoming matches.
New Zealand will hope for positive news from the scan results and will likely give Williamson ample time to recover before considering his participation in the next game. In the meantime, they will look to maintain their winning momentum and continue their impressive run in the World Cup.
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