Shakib stars as hosts shrug off Zimbabwe in first ODI

Bangladesh have registered their first One-Day International win of the year with a scintillating all-round show by Shakib Al Hasan against Zimbabwe on Friday.

Sports Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 21 Nov 2014, 07:28 AM
Updated : 21 Nov 2014, 06:13 PM

The top all-rounder scored a timely century and bagged four wickets to take Bangladesh up several notches over their African opponents.

Shakib’s ton (101), a fortune-filled Mushfiqur Rahim fifty, and a cracking lower-order cameo by debutant Sabbir Rahman (44 off 25) led Bangladesh to 281 for seven in their 50 overs after they were sent in to bat first.

In reply, Zimbabwe folded up for 194 in 42.1 overs to hand the hosts a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing 282 for the win, Zimbabwe seemed up to it in the start.

The Tigers’ captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was pitch perfect right at the outset bowling a maiden over to start off. But at the other end, Al Amin Hossain’s wayward bowling put the hosts under pressure.

Zimbabwe openers Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza took on the bowlers and executed an almost perfect start for Zimbabawe with an opening stand of 47 runs.

Shakib Al Hasan caused worries as soon as he came in with an economic over. He followed up with two wickets in an over, the scalps of Raza (15) and Vusi Sibanda, who walked back without scoring.

Masakadza and Brendan Taylor, two of most experienced Zimbabwe batsmen, came together for a recovery third wicket stand. Mahudullah Riyad broke the 45-run resistance, trapping the opener leg-before for 42 to bring relief back to the host camp.

Soon Regis Chakabva (9) followed Masakadza as Mahmudullah went through his gates to strike again.

Taylor kept battling at the other end keeping alive the tourists’ hopes of a win. But the Bangladesh captain soon eliminated the threat, dismissing Taylor (54) with a stunning catch to the right by Mushfiq, his 99th of the career, behind the wickets.

Taylor scored his 30th fifty off 66 balls with four boundaries and a six. After Taylor’s departure, the visitors never looked up to the challenge.

Chigumbura’s fall for Mashrafe’s second scalp diminished whatever hopes the visitors had, teetering on 153 for six.

Shakib Al Hasan came back to pick up two more wickets while Arafat Sunny sent the other two packing to finish things off.

Earlier, the hosts registered their highest score of 281 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Bangladesh got off to a lacklustre start, losing three wickets of Tamim Iqbal (5), Anamul Haque (12) and Mahmudullah Riyad (1) early.

Tamim failed to carry his new-found form in Tests into the one-day and was out playing Tinashe Panyangara on to the stumps.

Tendai Chatara lured both Anamul and Mahmudullah to play shots as the batsmen soon joined Tamim in the pavilion for catches down the ground.

Mominul Haque, in at three, started off with a boundary. With Shakib at the other end, Mominul seemed keen to play his shots.

Zimbabwe off-spinner John Nyumbu broke the recovery attempt. He kept it full and straight to rip into Mominul’s stumps ending his resistance at 31. The hosts were reduced to 70 for four.

Shakib and Mushfiq picked up from there, gradually driving the hosts to 100 in the 26th over.
Mushfiq cracked a six to register the next 50 runs off 52 balls.

Mushfiq was dropped on 16 when Chigumbura fluffed an overhead catch at cover off Nyumbu.

The pair rendered Zimbabwe bowlers ineffective, scoring runs freely on all sides of the wicket. They scored 48 runs in the batting powerplay in which they brought up their 100-run stand.

As the duo pressed on, Mushfiq scored his 17th fifty, followed by Shakib’s century that came after a four-year drought. The sixth ton, third against Zimbabwe, came off 95 deliveries laced with 10 boundaries.

The top all-rounder went down swinging when he smashed Tafadzwa Kamun Gozi for a catch to Tinashe Panyangara at long-on ending his 148-run stand with the skipper.

Debutant Sabbir Rahman joined Mushfiq in the middle. Sabbir took little time to settle down and played shots right from the outset. Mushfiq (65) rode on luck another couple of times after joining the 3,000 ODI runs club.

Sabbir (44 off 25) took charge thereafter and stepped up the run rate with a flurry of boundaries and sixes. He smashed two sixes in the last two deliveries of the Tigers’ innings to finish things in style.

Panyangara bagged three wickets for the visitors, while Chatara took two. Nyumbu and Kamun Gozi picked up a wicket each for Zimbabwe.

Shakib was adjudged the Man of the Match.

“Me and Mushy (Mushfiq) had a very good partnership... Have been bowling a lot and I love to contribute but when it is my day I have to make sure it belongs to me. It was a brilliant performance, but still there are areas where we need to improve and hope we do well in the next four games. It's a relief (winning the first ODI in 2014)," he said at the presentation ceremony.