Bangladesh endured a catastrophic batting collapse in the 4th T20I against Zimbabwe at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday, losing all ten wickets for a mere 42 runs after a promising start.
Being sent to bat first after losing the toss, Bangladesh appeared to be cruising towards a big total, with openers Soumya Sarkar (41) and Tanzid Hasan Tamim (52) forging a 101-run partnership for the first wicket. However, Tanzid's dismissal, caught after mistiming a shot, triggered an inexplicable collapse.
The middle and lower order crumbled under pressure, succumbing to a series of poor shot selections and dismissals.
After the openers, only Towhid Hridoy managed a double-digit score (12) as the remaining batters fell cheaply, with Luke Jongwe claiming three wickets for Zimbabwe.
The collapse exposed the fragility of Bangladesh's batting lineup. Shakib Al Hasan, returning to T20Is after nine months, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto both departed without showing any intention to fight back.
Shanto's dismissal, clean bowled attempting an extravagant shot, and Shakib's bowled through a gap between bat and pad, proved the lack of application and composure from the experienced players.
Despite the initial promise of a high score, Bangladesh's innings ended at a disappointing 143, leaving them with a challenging task to defend against Zimbabwe.
MSH
