Cricket fan Razib Dutta Omi hopes his beloved Bangladesh team will choose today’s University Oval game to inflict a historic first one-day home defeat on the Black Caps.
"It’s a huge day for us," Mr Dutta said.
The Dunedin resident has created of a social media Messenger group called "Team Bangladesh, Dunedin", through which he arranges community cricket matches for people in Dunedin’s 90-strong Bangladesh community.
Mr Dutta realises that win or lose, Bangladesh will provide many of the liveliest and most colourful fans at the ground.
Their passion for cricket and their team, the Tigers, flows exuberantly into their endless waves of bright clothing, painted hats, floating flags, the odd tiger mascot and, sometimes, extensive face paint.
He fully realises the formidable challenge facing his team in its close encounter with almost entirely foreign conditions of light, pitch and weather.
Nevertheless, he takes some comfort in the fact New Zealand master batsmen Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are injured and cannot play, and believes this may be the best day for the Bangladesh Tigers to pounce.
Mr Dutta is a survey interviewer for Statistics New Zealand and an opening batsman for the North East Valley Cricket Club’s second grade team.
In a further cricketing twist, Mr Dutta will be captaining a Dunedin Bangladeshi Community cricket team which is playing a Dunedin City Council team at 2pm tomorrow at Chingford Park.
Most of Dunedin’s Bangladesh community would be at today’s game, he said.
"Win or lose, they will always back up the Bangladeshi cricketers.
"People in Dunedin are very excited to have our cricketers here; now a win can transform this excitement into a festival."
Whatever happens today, the Tigers fans will be colourfully urging their team on.
And all they need is that first elusive win.
