Bangladesh confronts a must-win second one-day international against New Zealand at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Monday after the tourists claimed a 26-run victory in the series opener. A win for the visitors would seal the series; another defeat for the hosts would extinguish their chances with a match to spare.

Pace bowler Shariful Islam, who returned figures of two for 27 from his 10 overs in the first match, insisted the side can bounce back. “We have two matches in hand. We can bounce back,” Shariful told a press conference on Sunday. “We made mistakes in one match. They are a good side, but so are we. We will turn it around in the next game.”

Shariful only featured in the opening fixture because Mustafizur Rahman was ruled unfit. He emerged as Bangladesh’s most effective bowler on the day.

Asked whether he expected to retain his place, the left-armer said selection decisions rested with the coaching staff. “As professional cricketers, all 15 in the squad stay ready to play. It’s not in my hands. We will take the field with whichever XI is chosen.”

He declined to blame the batting unit for the defeat. “Losses hurt us as much as they hurt the batsmen. If we had bowled a little better, perhaps things would have been easier for them,” he said. “In the next match, the batsmen will perform well and support us. We will back them too. In cricket, one department often clicks while another falls short. We are optimistic about the next game.”

The second ODI begins at 11 am on Monday.