(Reuters) – New Zealand know all about the threat posed by Bangladesh after playing the Asian side in the build-up to the Cricket World Cup, opener Devon Conway said ahead of the sides’ meeting in Chennai later on Friday.
New Zealand took on Bangladesh last month as part of their preparations for the 50-overs showpiece in India, beating them 2-0 in a One-Day International series and chalking up sizeable margins of victory in both matches.
The Black Caps have brought that form into the World Cup, thrashing defending champions England by nine wickets in the opener before beating the Netherlands by 99 runs to sit second in the table.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better start with two wins and four points. The guys are excited to get out there and put up a good show against Bangladesh,” Conway said.
“Bangladesh are a strong group, we’re fortunate to have played a fair few ODI games against them recently. We’ve got good information on the group and how they go about things.
“They are crafty with the ball, they’ve got some good spinners and some good seamers up front as well.”
The 32-year-old said he was pleased that team mate Rachin Ravindra, with whom he combined for an unbroken 273-run partnership in the win over England, was getting the recognition he deserved.
In addition to his 123 against England, all-rounder Ravindra also scored a half-century against the Netherlands and has picked up two wickets so far.
“That partnership we shared in Ahmedabad was special. It’s great to see him show the world what he’s got,” Conway said.
“Rachin’s a special person, he’s a 23-year-old with the mind of a 40-year-old. He doesn’t get too far ahead of himself, he takes each day as it comes. It’s special for him to get the acknowledgment he deserves.
“He’s done really well in the first two games at the World Cup, where there’s a lot of pressure.”
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
