Zimbabwe restrict Bangladesh to 251 in 2nd ODI
November 23, 2014
Curiously, the side lost wickets in pairs with the score on 158, 173 and 204 respectively. Later it was Mominul Haque's 33 off 23 balls with three fours, which took them just past the 250-run mark.
The pair of Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque added the second-highest opening partnership for Bangladesh in ODIs before Tamim and Shakib Al Hasan were dismissed off successive deliveries. Shakib missed a straight delivery from Vusi Sibanda to collect his fourth golden duck in ODIs.
Anamul Haque was the third wicket to fall, superbly caught by Sibanda at point, after he had made 80 off 110 balls. Two deliveries later, Sabbir Rahman was out for a second-ball duck after being caught at fine leg off a top-edged pull, with the score at 173 for 4.
Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim added 31 runs quickly before falling off consecutive deliveries to Tafadzwa Kamungozi. Mahmudullah chipped the ball to long-off, while Mushfiqur was adjudged leg-before. In keeping with their batting trend of 2014, Bangladesh had lost 6 for 46 in 10.2 overs.
Tamim was run-out in the 33rd over, found short by a throw from Elton Chigumbura at deep square leg. Tamim wasn't running too fast, perhaps expecting a miss as the fielder had fumbled at first. That wicket, however, gave Zimbabwe a whiff of a chance and they turned it into full-fledged dominance. Sibanda worked wonders, finishing with 1 for 45 from 10 overs, while John Nyumbu and Kamungozi also completed their quota, with Kamungozi taking 2 for 38. Chigumbura's use of Tinashe Panyangara and Tendai Chatara, particularly in the slog overs, was important. Bangladesh took 71 runs in the last 10 overs.
The collapse hardly did justice to Tamim and Anamul, who had provided a strong platform - Bangladesh's third 150-plus opening stand and the second-highest after the 170-run partnership between Shahriar Hossain and Mehrab Hossain in 1999, also against Zimbabwe.
The pair reached 50 runs in 13.1 overs to bring up Bangladesh's first 50-plus stand at the start of the innings since March this year. Twelve overs later, they added Bangladesh's ninth century opening stand. They added 77 in the first 20 overs but settled down and pushed up the scoring rate, and the next 10 overs produced 57 runs. Bangladesh took the Powerplay in the 29th over and finished the five-over period with 42 runs for 1 wicket.
Tamim played some excellent shots in his 76 off 98 balls, between periods of play when he stalled and waited for the bad balls. There were a couple of edged boundaries but he peppered the cover and point boundaries and brought up his fifty with a straight six over long-on.
Anamul batted slower than Tamim, taking his time to settle down. He miscued a few to the boundary but soon found his way, ensuring Tamim had the bulk of the strike, which was commendable. He drove through cover to bring up his 50 off 83 balls and then lofted the ball through the same area for a six. His half-century also made it the ninth occasion when both Bangladesh openers had scored fifties.
Once they both fell, it was the red of Zimbabwe spread all over the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium and they will hope to build on that energy to level the series.
