Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 1st T20I Review: ‘Bangladesh wins the first T20I amidst tough competition offered by the visitors’

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 1st T20I Review: ‘Bangladesh wins the first T20I amidst tough competition offered by the visitors’: For the first time in this series, Zimbabwe set the target for the hosts after Bangladesh had won the toss and chose to field first due to the probability of the dew factor influencing the game conditions as the match progresses. There were two changes in the Bangladesh squad with Anamul Haque playing his first international since the World cup and making a comeback replacing Imrul Kayes, which was a surprise as Imrul Kayes was in-form with consecutive fifties and debutant Jubair Hossain replaced Arafat Sunny. The Zimbabwe team is with two changes with Tendai Chisoro and Neville Madziva replacing Taurai Muzarabani and Chamu Chibhabha.

The first innings was opened by Raza and Chakabva and Zimbabwe hoped to win this match. But to their disappoint Sikandar Raza went back to the pavilion after hitting the ball for a four and Mashrafe Mortaza had the last laugh. Sadly in the very next two overs, Chakabva and the consistent Chigumbura also fell for nought and Zimbabwe was reeling at 10/3. It was like they were in a self-destruct mode with players one by one getting out. But then like the previous matches, there was one knock from the visitors which helped them in an attempt to cross the line. Such was the knock of Malcolm Waller who scored a blazing 68 of just 31 balls consisting of four fours and six sixes and gave his bowlers a score of 131 to defend. Without him and a supporting knock of 20 by Craig Ervine, it wouldn’t have been possible. Malcolm Waller’s fifty entered the record books as it became the fastest ever fifty by a Zimbabwean batsman.

The bowling was nothing short of being brilliant. They kept bowling tight lines with very few errors and made the Zimbabweans struggle in scoring runs. There were three ducks in the Zimbabwean innings. Jubair Hossain took his first T20I wicket and ended with a tally of two wickets. The other wicket takers were Mashrafe Mortaza, Al-Amin Hossain and the Player of the Match of the 3^rd ODI, Mustafizur Rahman picking up two wickets each and Nasir Hossain and Mahmudullah chipping in with a wicket each.

All the visitors’ hopes rested on their bowlers mainly Tinashe Panyangara, who has been their best bowler and spinners, Cremer and Raza, to take the Bangladeshi wickets early in the innings in a hope to win their first match of the tour.

A surprise for many Bangladeshi fans, Anamul Haque opened with Tamim Iqbal but failed to make a mark as he got run out in the very first over. Sabbir Rahman then came in and carved three brilliant boundaries before falling to a stunning catch by Craig Ervine who first was involved in a brilliant knock and this brilliant diving catch to his left. That shouldn’t have disappointed the Bangladeshi fans as the player of the ODI Series Mushfiqur Rahim walked into the crease to support Tamim Iqbal and give a proper start for the hosts but sadly for them, he fell for 2 and Bangladesh were left at 54/3. Now they were expecting a ‘Craig Ervine’ to help them reach the target comfortably but that wasn’t happening as Graeme Cremer took two important wickets of the middle order and Bangladesh were tumbling with 5 wickets down and just 80 on the board. This would’ve shown the Zimbabweans that they were in this match and could win it from here and register their first win against the hosts this series by two wickets.  But their hopes were shattered by innings from by Mahmudullah who scored 22 and Mashrafe Mortaza who scored 15 including the massive six by which Bangladesh took an unassailable lead of 1-0 in this T20 Series.

Unlike other matches in the series, Zimbabwe gave some tough competition to the hosts with a Craig Ervine’s amazing innings and their bowlers taking 5 early wickets and bring fears in the Bangladeshi camp for some time. The team should take these positives, work on their batting and death bowling and they can soon smell victory.

Bangladesh will play the same way and hopefully and hope to win the next T20I and remain unbeaten in this series. This way Bangladesh will remain a strong team to beat in the upcoming series and also for the years ahead in their Golden Era.

In the end, Bangladesh cruised to a 4 wicket victory just with a few wobbles on the way and Zimbabwe with Malcolm Waller’s record innings look to equal the series in the next T20I.

Brief Scores:

Zimbabwe: 131 (Malcolm Waller 68, Craig Ervine 20, Mustafizur Rahman 2/16, Mashrafe Mortaza 2/20, A Hossain 2/20)

Bangladesh: 136/6 (Tamim Iqbal 31, Mahmudullah 22, G Cremer 3/29, T Chisoro 2/15)

Player of the Match: Malcolm Waller