Bappu Mahmud
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal century did not went in vain as the host kept their nerve against Zimbabwe to clinch the three-match ODI series at Sylhet on Tuesday.
In a high scoring affair, Zimbabweans give the Tigers a run for their money as they reached 318-8 after restricting their opponent to 322-8 that was built on the back of Tamim’s boundary-laden 158, his first hundred in almost two years.
The four out of six Bangladesh bowlers conceded more than 50 runs with pacer Al Amin Hossain getting the most hit – 85 run in his 10 overs for just one wicket.
Boosted by half centuries from opener Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wesley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza and Donald Tiripano batting at the tail blasted to a 28-ball 55 with two boundaries and five over boundaries.
Right-arm pacer Tiripano took a real test of the Bangladesh bowlers at the death. In the last over with Al Amin on attack, Zimbabwe needed 20 runs. The first deliveries went for singles and a wide while the third got confident Mutombodzi removed. Two sixes in the next two balls from Tiripano turned the game drastically towards Zimbabwe. But the celebration from Tiripano following the second six was perhaps premature as from the last two balls came only one run where six was required. Tiripano remained unbeaten as almost a hero while Bangladesh swallowed their narrow escape.
Tamim Iqbal shrugged off his poor form with a record hundred to guide Bangladesh to 322-8 in the second one-day international of a three-match series against Zimbabwe Sylhet on Tuesday.
Much-criticised for his slow approach in recent matches, Tamim came out of his shell to hit 158 off 136 balls, the highest ever one-day international score for Bangladesh, breaking his own record of 154 runs against same opponents in 2009.
Mushfqur Rahim was other significant run-scorer with 55 off 50 balls while Mahmudullah made 41 as Tamim dominated the Zimbabwe bowlers in other end for a record score.
The Tigers’ total is their highest against Zimbabwe surpassing 321-6, which they scored in the previous match of the series on Sunday in 169-run win at the same group.
Opting to bat first after skipper Mashrafe won his second successive toss, Bangladesh’s innings did not start the way they had expected as Liton Das was run out for nine at the non-striker’s end.
Carl Mumba put a hand in a powerful drive of Tamim to break the stumps and dismiss the centurion in the previous innings.
But it was not the end of Bangladesh’s misfortune as one-down Nazmul Hossain was forced to sacrifice his wicket for Tamim after a mix-up.
Najmul’s run out for six made Tamim curbing his shots but Mushfiq took the charge to put 87 runs for the third wicket to keep the scoreboard moving fast.
Mushfiq was out with a catch at long-off by Tinotenda Mutombodzi off Wesley Madhevere before Tamim and Mahmudullah added 106 runs for the fourth wicket.
Tamim at 84 became the first Bangladesh to complete 7,000 runs in ODIs and then pushed Sean Williams at long off to complete his 12th ODI hundred off 106 balls, his first ODI hundred since July 2018.
Mumba and Tiripano did claim two wickets each and somewhat contain the lower-order batsmen but Mohammad Mithun’s unbeaten 32 off 18 balls still ensured a record score for Bangladesh.