Bangladesh beats Zimbabwe by five runs, series now at 4-0

ASHLEY DUBE 

ZIMBABWE came close to Bangladesh's total once again but fell short by five runs in Dhaka, handing the hosts a 4-0 lead in the T20I series.

Image: @ZimCricketv/X

Despite a late surge from tailenders Wellington Masakadza and Blessing Muzarabani, Shakib Al Hasan held his nerve in the final over to claim the remaining two wickets. Muzarabani had earlier struck Shakib for a straight six when Zimbabwe needed 13 runs to win. 

Shakib finished with impressive figures of 4 for 35 in his first T20I appearance in ten months. Mustafizur Rahman, also making a return to the side, took three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain took two and one, respectively.

Bangladesh had earlier given Zimbabwe a lifeline by collapsing from a commanding 101-0 to be bowled out for just 143. The last ten wickets fell in a mere 8.4 overs as the hosts failed to bat out their full 20 overs.

Luke Jongwe led Zimbabwe's fightback with the ball, taking 3 for 20. His third wicket made him Zimbabwe's highest wicket-taker in T20Is, surpassing Tendai Chatara with 64 wickets.

Tanzid Hasan Tamim took the initiative in the powerplay, aggressively attacking the Zimbabwean bowlers. He reached 40 off 27 balls with seven boundaries, leaving his opening partner Soumya Sarkar with little to do at the other end. Soumya faced just nine deliveries during the powerplay before opening up in the following two overs. He reverse-swept Brian Bennett in the seventh over and then lofted Luke Jongwe over the covers.

At the end of the ninth over, Tanzid reached his second fifty of the series with a single off Faraz Akram, continuing to impress in his debut series. Shortly after, Tanzid and Soumya brought up their century partnership – the third by a Bangladeshi opening pair in T20Is.

Their impressive partnership hinted at a big score for Bangladesh. However, things took a dramatic turn for the worse soon after.

Bangladesh's promising start came crashing down in the 12th over when Tanzid Hasan Tamim was caught by Johnathan Campbell off Luke Jongwe's bowling. Soumya Sarkar followed soon after, trapped lbw by Jongwe's slower yorker for 41.

Despite the solid platform built by the openers, the rest of the Bangladesh batters failed to capitalize. Towhid Hridoy, the Player of the Match in the previous two matches, was caught by Brian Bennett at deep square leg off Sikandar Raza's bowling.

Bennett then struck again with his offspin, dismissing Shakib Al Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto in consecutive deliveries. Richard Ngarava removed Jaker Ali in the 17th over, before a mix-up between Rishad Hossain and Taskin Ahmed resulted in Taskin being run out.

Jongwe, Ngarava, and Blessing Muzarabani took the last three wickets to fall. In a comical moment in the final over, Zimbabwe missed a run-out chance when Tanvir Islam and Mustafizur Rahman attempted to take an extra run from an overthrow. Mustafizur was well short at the non-striker's end, but Campbell failed to cleanly field the ball and hit the stumps.

Zimbabwe's chase got off to a poor start, a recurring theme throughout the series. Brian Bennett, who had impressed with his bowling earlier, failed to replicate his effectiveness with the bat. He was dismissed in the first over, caught by Shakib Al Hasan at mid-on after failing to handle Taskin Ahmed's pace and hurried him into a pull shot.

Sikandar Raza, promoted to number 3, struck four boundaries in the first two overs. However, his innings was cut short in the fourth over when Taskin removed him with a good-length ball that took his middle stump. Raza departed with 17 runs to his name.

Tadiwanashe Marumani, who had struck Shakib Al Hasan for two fours in the third over, followed Sikandar Raza back to the pavilion in the fifth over. Shakib trapped him lbw when Marumani missed an attempted slog sweep.

Bangladesh dropped two chances after they had Zimbabwe on the ropes in the tenth over. Hridoy dropped Campbell on 12, before Jaker spilled Ryan Burl's skier when he was on 1.

The pair combined to take 20 runs off Tanzim Hasan in the 13th over. Campbell struck a six and a four, before Burl's clip sent the ball high into the stands above square leg.

But their brief resistance ended with Mustafizur bowling the 15th over, where he struck twice. Soumya took a fine running catch from long-on to end Burl's virgil on 19. Jongwe guided his second ball to Rishad at point to make it 94 for 6.

Shakib removed Campbell in the 17th over, with Shanto taking the skier at mid-off.The pendulum had swung back in Bangladesh's favour.

Despite Campbell's dismissal in the 17th over, Wellington Masakadza struck Shakib Al Hasan for a four and a six in the same over. However, Tanzim Hasan brought things back under control with six runs in the 18th over.

Mustafizur Rahman conceded just seven runs in the penultimate over, during which he also removed Faraz Akram with a good slow ball.

Tanzid Hasan Tamim, who had taken a good catch to remove Akram, then dropped an easier chance of Masakadza off the first ball of the last over. Blessing Muzarabani struck a big six next ball, but Shakib cleverly bowled a wide one to him as Muzarabani advanced, and Jaker completed the stumping.

Richard Ngarava was then bowled next ball, sealing Bangladesh's victory.