Tigers Brush Aside Zimbabwe Again

Post Match Review: 5th ODI, Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Chittagong, Dec 12, 2010


The final match of the series was important for both the teams after the fourth one was abandoned due to rain. With Bangladesh 2-1 up, Zimbabwe had a chance to win this last one to level the series. Tigers made sure they end their pre-world cup campaign on a perfect note by trouncing them easily. Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza used this last chance to come back into form with style. Bangladesh made no changes while Zimbabwe made two. Shingirai Masakadza was dropped in favor of Keith Dabengwa and Elton Chigumbara replaced Chamu Chibhabha. Zimbabwe chose to bat after winning the toss.

Disaster struck from the very outset for Zimbabwe when Brendan Taylor was run out by a Shuvo direct hit off a free-hit in the very first over. Zimbabwe went slowly afterwards as the bowling was nagging and pitch was slow with cracks on it. They were reduced to 21 for 3 in the eleventh over. Masakadza and Dabengwa were both trapped in front by Mortaza. Craig Ervine and Tatenda Taibu put their heads down and started rebuilding the innings. They were slow but assured and struck a valuable 95 run partnership. The nature of their play and the tight noose which the bowling had applied on them was evident with the fact that first boundary was hit in the 24th over. When Ervine departed on 46 caught behind off Shakib their run rate was three with just eleven overs remaining. Chigumbara came in to up the rate and showed his intentions by lofting Shakib for a six. In trying for quick runs he got out while pulling a Shakib delivery. Taibu was set for an onslaught in the remaining three overs having already reached his 16th fifty. After hitting a four and a six in an Abdur Razzak over he miss-hit one in the next over from Shakib to get out on a well made 64 off 104 balls. Abdur was bowling ultra miserly prior to that. Zimbabwe ended on 188 for six which was a mediocre total even on a slow and turning wicket and a heavy outfield.

Bangladesh too started woefully when Mpofu had Imrul Kayes caught behind in the first over. Zimbabwe needed to strike regularly to make use of the conditions but Tamim Iqbal along with Junaid Siddique made sure it does not happen. After getting a measure of the wicket Tamim started unleashing his array of strokes. He got a reprieve when Mpofu could not hold on to a return catch after being hit for a four and a six in the over. Tamim had got his timing back and dealt with crunchy fours and thumping sixes from there on. He brought his half-century off 61 balls. Junaid on the other hand was happily playing second fiddle to Tamim. Crowd was enjoying every shot from him hoping that he will reach his 4th ODI hundred. He hit one six after the other each an emblem of timing and class. He was in such a form that after hitting a six over deep mid-wicket he came down the track again against Cremer who pushed the ball wide off the off-stump but he still managed to hit it over long-on with ease. Going for another couplet of sixes in the next over bowled by Dabengwa he holed out just five short of what would have been a sparkling hundred. The crowd was stunned into silence as the local boy failed to complete his hundred. Although Shakib Al Hasan departed soon afterwards but Junaid sailed the Tigers home in 43 overs without any more drama along with Mushfiqur Rahim.  Junaid made 56 not out.

Tamim was named the Man of the Match while Man of the Series was Abdur Razzak. With this win Bangladesh rounded off their World Cup campaign in good shape. As they will play most of their matches at home they have more than a realistic chance of getting through to the second stage. Who knows with this current form we may see them in the Semis.