Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have engaged in an epic rivalry that has grown increasingly intense over time. Each Test serves as an arena of national pride, sporting drama, and strategy.
Match scorecards serve as a living history of every match that’s played, providing us with the narratives that bring each story alive. By understanding its nuances, one can better comprehend each game.
In this article, we will discuss the main points or high lights of Bangladesh National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard.
No. | Player | Role |
---|---|---|
1 | Mahmudul Hasan Joy | Opening batter |
2 | Shadman Islam | Top-order batter |
3 | Najmul Hossain Shanto (c) | Captain & batter |
4 | Mominul Haque | Middle-order batter |
5 | Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) | Wicket-keeper & middle-order bat |
6 | Mehidy Hasan Miraz | Bowling all-rounder |
7 | Jaker Ali (wk) | Wicket-keeper & lower-order bat |
8 | Taijul Islam | Spinner |
9 | Hasan Mahmud | Bowler |
10 | Khaled Ahmed | Pace bowler |
11 | Nahid Rana | Pace bowler |
Numbers tell a story
Bangladesh National Cricket Team, commonly referred to as “Tigers”, has been an official member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One-Day International status since 1977. Under governing body Bangladesh Cricket Board and currently led by Chandika Hathurusingha as coach, they have played in 109 Test matches; winning 52, losing 31, drawing eight – making them one of only two nations to have won every major Test series played against.
Zimbabwe won their first Test match since 2021 by defeating Bangladesh at Sylhet. On a bowlers-friendly pitch, Zimbabwe kept up pressure while holding their nerve to take home victory.
Brian Bennett and Ben Curran provided Zimbabwe with an impressive start in their attempt to chase down 174 runs, but once both were dismissed the rest of the lower order had to step up. Even after falling to 161-7 they recovered well – helped by Wesley Madhevere’s incredible catch – eventually closing on 162-7, just three runs shy of victory.
After being reduced to 194-4 on day 2, their situation appeared dire; however, Blessing Muzarabani’s quality bowling allowed them to reduce their deficit, including taking out Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in just his second delivery and also picking off Mehidy Hasan Miraz (four wickets) and Jaker Ali before finishing off the innings in style.
With two days remaining in this thrilling finale, both teams will aim to avoid collapse in their innings and wrap up quickly. Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan’s incredible batting will play an integral part in creating an unassailable lead while Zimbabwe veteran Craig Ervine looks to add another memorable chapter to his career by leading them to their first win of this series.
Tight lines and lengths
The final Test in any series can be an anxious affair. Much rides on the performance of the final bowler and batsmen must remain prepared for anything on a tricky Sylhet pitch which favours pacers while rewarding application from batters. Zimbabwe had an inauspicious start but managed to hold their nerve and secure Zimbabwe’s first Test win since 2021 in Bangladesh as Richard Ngarava and Wellington Masakadza completed Zimbabwe’s record run chase, setting an all-time run chase record at 3,402. This match will go down as one of cricket history’s greatest ever run chase ever seen by any team before!
Bangladesh limited Zimbabwe to 191 on Day 3. Blessing Muzarabani played an instrumental role in their collapse, taking four wickets in just 20 overs as they struggled to post an acceptable total. But with expert spinnery from Bangladesh’s late overs spinners turning the tide of battle.
Zimbabwe needed another 174 runs for victory, leaving Ben Curran and Brian Bennett looking in control before giving away two cheap wickets before tea break. But Zimbabwe’s batsmen failed to capitalize, with Zimbabwe eventually failing to cross the finish line by just four runs.
Bangladesh bowlers ultimately prevailed, with their tight lines and lengths taking advantage of any flaws in Australian batsman timing to catch them off guard and force a result from this Test match. Their success demonstrated how small margins can make all the difference.
20.6: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Ben Curran, Out! CAUGHT!
While trying to loft over mid on, Ben Curran gets an inside edge which flies directly into Khaled Ahmed at long on. The tourists lose their second wicket with only 46 needed for victory.
Turning points
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh share a long and contentious rivalry in cricket history, and have had many memorable encounters on the cricket field over time. Both teams have seen epic battles on ODI pitches between themselves; but recently it’s Bangladesh who have come out ahead. Their brand of cricket is more disciplined and polished, giving them an advantage when it comes to head-to-head standings.
But despite some minor victories for Bangladesh-Zimbabwe visitors, their dominance remains intact. One reason may be due to their ineffective batting which struggles to post a decent total when under pressure games come along – making each clash an exciting encounter between these two sides.
The second session of the day saw both teams engaged in an intense battle as Zimbabwe batsmen attempted to score big runs against Bangladesh spinners who kept runs to a minimum. Zimbabwe struggled to keep their wickets intact but eventually lost several key ones and found themselves in an increasingly precarious position.
Zimbabwe were faced with an uphill task as they needed over 50 runs to win, yet Bennett and Curran managed to take an aggressive approach and score early with their aggressive play. Unfortunately, Zimbabwe’s middle order were powerless to put up any meaningful resistance on an increasingly poor pitch and they ultimately fell short of their target.
Shadman Islam brought welcome relief when he struck Blessing Muzarabani for six off his opening delivery and scored his sixth Test half-century, but soon after was bowled by one outside off when his bat closed too early and ballooned the ball towards wide deep fine leg – his innings would soon come to a premature close due to being bowled off a delivery outside off due to his early closure of face and ballooned ball towards wide deep fine leg.
Bangladesh were reminded that consistency is key if they want to play their best cricket. Achieve victories against lower-tier sides may give a temporary boost, but these victories won’t address more fundamental problems; only when they can consistently perform well under high-pressure games will they be able to take on the elite sides.
Bowling data
Bangladesh Cricket Team – commonly referred to as Bangla Tigers – represents People’s Republic of Bangladesh at all events organized by International Cricket Council (ICC). As Full Members, they hold Test, One-Day International, and Twenty20 International status with them.
However, their international progress has been modest. The Tigers have reached six World Cup Tournament quarterfinals but never made the semifinals. Their progress in One Day International cricket, however, has been much faster with three Asia Cup wins and three semifinal appearances in 2013.
Rana can often reach 140kph or faster in his nets deliveries and this pace can really unnerve batsmen. Furthermore, his bowling action makes him hard to play against.
Rana has received much acclaim for his bowling style and approach, and could become Bangladesh’s next shining fast bowler. Yet Shanto remains cautious of any expectations being set too high – noting that Rana still needs much practice before becoming fully prepared to compete at international level.
He will undoubtedly play an integral role in Bangladesh’s attack, with potential to become their next game-changer. Rana may be fast, but Bangladesh have other options such as Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman to call upon when faced with tough conditions.
Bangladesh may not receive much love, but their attack can hold its own against anyone in the world. Their fast bowlers and spinners can all be highly effective against any batting attack; calling them one of the world’s premier bowling units might not be that farfetched; however, improving batting depth remains key before they can truly become title contenders.