If joint Player-of-the-Match awards were in vogue, Rachin Ravindra might well have been receiving it alongside Michael Bracewell on Monday night in Rawalpindi. Bracewell was given the award for his pinpoint offspin that helped New Zealand keep Bangladesh to 236 for 9. Ravindra then boosted his reputation as one of the game's brightest young talents with a 105-ball 112.
Ravindra also extended his love affair with ICC 50-over tournaments; all four of his ODI centuries so far have come at ICC events. The first three came in India at the 2023 World Cup, before his sparkling century in this game, which shut the door on Bangladesh and put New Zealand in the semi-finals.
Curiously, Ravindra might not have played this game at all. He had missed New Zealand's previous three ODIs over the last couple of weeks after taking a blow to the forehead while fielding in the Pakistan tri-series. But Daryl Mitchell reported sick on the morning of the Bangladesh match, and Ravindra was back.
He walked out to bat when they were 15 for 2 in the fourth over, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana looking red hot with the new ball. He played straight to blunt them, had a bit of luck when Bangladesh missed a direct hit that would have ended his stay on 25, lost Devon Conway at the other end in the 16th over, lost his rhythm at times, but, importantly for New Zealand, kept at it. Having the experienced Tom Latham for company for most his innings was a huge plus.
"It was a little bit of a tricky wicket at times," Ravindra said afterwards. "The ball held up in there. They bowled some good stuff at times. Tommy is a great man to have in the middle. He has so much experience. It was about building a partnership and to try to take it deep. The beauty of chasing 240 is that you don't need to push the accelerator too much on good wickets and fast outfields. We were just trying to play good cricket shots and work on five-run blocks.
"There were definitely times when I struggled for timing. They strung together dot balls. They bowled really well. They didn't give any width. The beauty of batting in one-day cricket is that it goes through ebbs and flows for a long period. There are periods when you can play freely, and then there are periods when you don't.
"I was leaning on Tommy a lot in those periods. We kept each other accountable, knowing what our options are. I tried to play good cricket shots, got into good positions and, when they missed their lengths, I was able to hit the gaps. I think I didn't force the ball, which is why it looked a bit simple. It is definitely not simple when you are out there."
Latham and Ravindra added 129 off 136 in partnership, and when they were separated in the 39th over, New Zealand needed just 36 more. They had steadied the ship and won the battle in the crucial middle overs, hardly letting the Bangladesh spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain settle on a length.
For Bangladesh, it was the reverse. They had reached a solid 97 for 2 after 20 overs, and New Zealand might have been wondering if they had made the right choice in choosing to bowl first. Then Bracewell took control of the middle overs, and the game. He had been brought into the attack early - the ninth over - to counter the left-hand pair of Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto. He had Tanzid caught at midwicket with his second ball of the match, and then kept things tight, but Bangladesh were still decently placed. That changed over the course of Bracewell's next four overs, which produced figures of 3 for 5.
"Bangladesh started really well in the powerplay. I think their openers kept the tempo going. We were under the pump on a good wicket. But Beasty [Bracewell] put the chokehold on, bowled the good balls. He was amazing with his consistency," Ravindra said. "I think Beasty bowled out of his skin today. His development as a cricketer in the last few years has been amazing to watch. We have played together five or six years ago in Wellington. He is learning his craft so well. His consistency gives so much depth to our spin attack. [Mitchell] Santner is one of the best in the world and having someone like Michael supplementing him is great."
Bracewell finished with career-best figures of 4 for 26, having bowled 43 dots. Bangladesh played out 178 dots overall to New Zealand's 142. That made a difference. New Zealand had recovered twice in the game, both times in the middle overs. That, certainly, made a big difference.