Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI Review: ‘The return of Imrul Kayes’

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 2^nd ODI Review: ‘The return of Imrul Kayes’: It was an easy victory for Bangladesh in the first ODI but they wouldn’t get too excited and try to win this match comprehensively and seal the series and take it an unassailable lead of 2-0. Enough said, Bangladesh will be entering the ground with confidence and Zimbabwe will look for a victory after a long time on the Bangladeshi soil.

With Shakib Al Hasan being blessed with a baby girl today in the United States, he was unable to play today. Instead, Imrul Kayes replaced him and played his first ODI after 2014 and everybody including the selectors watched if he could reply well with a great comeback innings. Like the previous ODI again, Zimbabwe won the toss and put the hosts to bat first.

The innings was opened by Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes. When the opening partnership was seeming to be established, Panyangara bowled one outside off stump and Tamim Iqbal unable to read the line properly gave an easy catch to Chibhabha behind the stumps when the score on the board read 32. Within 5 overs, Litton Das walked in and walked out to the pavilion. His form has been a major concern to captain Mashrafe. But soon after Mahmudullah and Rahim also fell and Kayes stood helpless on the other side of the 22 yards. It was only because of the important contribution of Kayes of 76 did Bangladesh manage a score of 241 at the end of their 50 overs. Other contributions came from Sabbir Rahman who scored 33 and Nassir Hossain who scored 41. Losing wickets at regular intervals never allowed the Bangladeshis to really settle.

The Zimbabwean bowlers did a great job compared to the first ODI and they deserve their due credit as Bangladesh were surely 30 to 40 runs short. Tinashe Panyangara took 3 important wickets including those of Tamim Iqbal and Nasir Hossain. Graeme Cremer and Taurai Muzurabani complemented their squad by taking two wickets each.

With Shakib not playing the match, and his replacement being Kayes who was a batsman, Bangladesh were a bowler short. Chibabha and Chakabva opened the innings. Chigumbura probably had a different strategy for Jongwe and make him bat in the lower order to complement him if the upper order fails. The strategy failed as Chakabva was sent back to the pavilion early by Arafat Sunny. Another opener Chibhabha soon fell to Mashrafe Mortaza after a quick fire 14. Sean Williams who was living dangerously soon followed him back to the dressing room with another 14. Craig Ervine who tried to build a partnership with Chigumbura, run himself out owing to a brilliant fielding by Litton Das, for a slow but steadily paced innings of 26 including 3 boundaries. At the end of the 33^rd over, another established partnership of 73 with the captain was shattered by a great ball by Al-Amin Hossain with the loss of Sikandar Raza when the scoreboard read 152. But another beauty by Al-Amin Hossain to Chigumbura, failed him to get the timing right and sent him back home. With the in-form Chigumbura falling for a 47, it was all but over the African nation. Then the same story repeated with wickets falling in the end with to Mustafizur Rahim in the end with Jongwe being the last wicket, the match and the series was easily handed over to the Bangladeshis. Bangladesh emphatically won by 58 runs and Zimbabwe were all out for 183.

Al-Amin Hossain’s two important wickets of Chigumbara and Raza turned the match in the favour of the Bangladeshis. Credit goes to him for following his captain’s orders and bowling in the good line and length. The other wicket takers for Bangladesh were Mustafizur Rahman with three, Arafat and Nasir Hossain with two apiece and Mashrafe Mortaza and Sunny with a wicket each.

The player of the match Imrul Kayes said, “I was very hungry. If I had got the chance I would’ve proved. I’m happy after today”

With no luck for Zimbabwe till now in Bangladesh and already the series won by the hosts, they’ll be looking to win the 3^rd ODI for pride and confidence and Bangladesh will be looking to whitewash them yet another time on their home soil. In the end, Zimbabwe lost by 58 runs and will look for squad reshuffle to come back to their winning ways.

Brief Scores:

Bangladesh: 241/9 (Imrul Kayes 76, Nasir Hossain 41, T Panyangara 3/41, T Muzarabani 2/32)

Zimbabwe: 183 (Elton Chigumbura 47, Sikandar Raza 33, Mustafizur Rahman 3/33, Al Amin Hossain 2/22)

Man of the Match: Imrul Kayes