In his return to international cricket, Mohammad Saifuddin bagged three crucial wickets, while Taskin Ahmed also contributed with three scalps as Bangladesh restricted Zimbabwe to a modest 124 runs in the first T20I of the five-match series at Chattogram on Friday.
This series serves as a valuable preparation opportunity for the Tigers ahead of the T20 World Cup, and the bowlers made the most of it in the first match.
After winning the toss and opting to field, Bangladesh's seam-heavy attack put Zimbabwe on the back foot early.
Zimbabwe lost their first wicket with just eight runs on the board as Mahedi Hasan dismissed key batter Craig Ervine for a duck. The visitors then suffered a dramatic collapse, losing five wickets for a mere five runs, including two instances of consecutive dismissals.
In the final delivery of the fifth over, Saifuddin dismissed Joylord Gumbie, caught by Taskin. The sixth over saw a double blow for Zimbabwe as Mahedi Hasan removed Sikandar Raza for a duck, followed by a run-out dismissal of Brian Bennett for 16.
Taskin then delivered a devastating blow in the next over, dismissing both Sean Williams and Ryan Burl for ducks off consecutive deliveries. The dismissal of Williams will be etched in the memories of Chattogram fans, as a short-of-a-length delivery on leg stump shattered his stumps after the batsman tried to create room but missed the ball completely.
Despite the setbacks, wicketkeeper-batter Clive Madande (43) and Wellington Masakadza (34) staged a fightback with a 75-run partnership for the eighth wicket, helping Zimbabwe cross the 100-run mark.
However, Saifuddin and Taskin's three-wicket hauls, along with Mahedi's two wickets, ensured that Zimbabwe were limited to a below-par total.
MSH
