Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first, a seemingly calculated move supported by a superb performance from their bowlers.
At Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram saw a whirlwind of emotions as Zimbabwe took on Bangladesh in the first Twenty20 of the five-match series. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first, a seemingly calculated move supported by a superb performance from their bowlers.
Zimbabwe lost their opening wicket early in the match when off-spin all-rounder Mahedi Hasan (4-1-16-2) sent a beautiful delivery to Craig Ervine (0 off 2). Even with a brief collaboration between Joylord Gumbie and Brian Bennett, Zimbabwe was unable to establish traction. After five overs, with the scorecard reading 36/2, the debutant was out.
Zimbabwe fell apart after starting the innings brightly at 36 for 1, losing six wickets and scoring only five more runs. Bangladesh’s outstanding fielding resulted in Brian Bennett’s run-out, which marked the beginning of the end. Hasan’s dismissal of Sikandar Raza with a golden duck added insult to injury.
Taskin Ahmed’s ferocious performance worsened Zimbabwe’s situation by taking Ryan Burl and Sean Williams wickets in quick succession. After joining the assault, Mohammad Saifuddin removed Luke Jongwe in the eighth over.
With two wickets apiece, Hasan, Ahmed, and Saifuddin led Bangladesh’s bowling attack with remarkable accuracy and skill. The hosts’ superior fielding, which included a pivotal run-out, was a major factor in Zimbabwe’s defeat.
With momentum swinging violently between the two teams, the story of the match was a monument to how unpredictable cricket can be. Bangladesh will want to build on their win in the game and take a 1-0 lead in the series while Zimbabwe struggles to turn around their appalling performance.
Not to be demoralized, the visiting team kept at it, building the sinking ship with the help of keeper-batter Clive Madande (43 off 39), who was eventually taken out by Taskin. Notably, the batsman and Wellington Masakadza (34* off 38) combined for 75 runs for the eighth wicket, saving the team from certain defeat. Masakadza’s final over helped Zimbabwe reach 124/9 at the end of 20 overs.
