Will batters fire in dead rubber 3rd ODI?

Bangladesh go into the dead rubber third and final ODI against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday not only to salvage some pride but also to figure out a method to handle Afghan spin, in particular Rashid Khan.

"I think they are playing Rashid, not the ball," Bangladesh's spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed had said after the 81-run defeat in the second ODI which saw them lose the series.

A mental block against Rashid may have played a part, however, it's also plainly visible that the Bangladesh batters have consistently failed to pick his googly from the hand nor, have they figured out an alternative way to contend with it.

The 27-year-old has accounted for eight wickets in two games so far this series, taking full advantage of a Bangladesh middle-order packed with right-handers.

The management has the option of bringing in left-handed Shamim Hossain into the middle-order to counter the wrist spin of Rashid, but it remains to be seen whether they take the bet.

Meanwhile, the top-order has found no respite against Azmatullah Omarzai, who has picked up six wickets in two games this series.

Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Saif Hassan have shown glimpses of fire but not been able to carry on but the bigger problem is Najmul Hossain Shanto's poor form.

Since his 77 against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy this year in February, Shanto's highest score in his last five innings is 23. At No.3, he has to carry the lion's share of the responsibility to build the innings.

Further down the order, Tawhid Hridoy and skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz too have not left an impact, both guilty of not rotating the strike enough, inviting scoreboard pressure.

Bangladesh have now lost three back-to-back ODI series against Afghanistan and Miraz's captaincy stint has not started brightly either, suffering consecutive series losses since taking over from Shanto in June this year.

With the 2027 World Cup qualification equation now coming to the limelight, the Tigers have their task cut out to not only find answers to the challenges posed by Afghanistan but also to find a fresh approach in how they play ODI cricket.