Chittagong (TDI): Bangladesh crushed Zimbabwe by an innings and 106 runs in the second and final cricket test match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
In a marvelous performance, Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored a century, becoming the third Bangladeshi cricketer to score century after Shakib Al Hasan and Sohag Gazi, and 39th player overall in the world of cricket to score a century with such a grace.
Miraz had scored 104 runs, taking Bangladeshi team to 444 runs before being all out. With such remarkable achievement, Miraz has become the sixth fastest player to reach the club of 2000 runs and 200 wickets.
The all-round performance of Mehidy Hasan Miraz had propelled Bangladeshi cricket team to crush the innings by 106 runs, levelling the two-match series by 1-1.
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In the beginning, Zimbabwe’s team won the toss and decided to bat first. It managed to score a fair 227 runs in the first innings before being all-out. Bangladesh hit back with a commanding 444, courtesy to not only Mehidy but also from opener Shadman Islam who scored a solid 120.
Mehidy Hasan was given the undisputed title of star of the match, after he scored a brilliant century before pulling apart Zimbabwe’s batting line with figures of 5 for 32. The left-arm spinner of Bangladeshi team, Taijul Islam, also didn’t stay far behind and provided an excellent support during the match, taking a solid 3 for 42 and finishing with nine wickets.
On the other hand, the batting of Zimbabwe’s team collapsed and offered very little resistance, with Ben Curran scoring just 46 runs. Craig Ervine scored 25 while Wellington Masakadza could score only 10, making them the only batters to reach double figures during the entire second innings.
This excellent performance of the Bangladeshi cricket team has led to high hopes among the cricket fans in Pakistan and Bangladesh, who have been eagerly waiting for their epic T20I series.
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The Pakistani cricket team has also buckled up for the exciting and challenging matches, which will be held in the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, starting from May 21.
The Pakistan-Bangladesh cricket series, as part of the initial plan, was to include three ODI matches and three T20I matches. However, the two boards have decided to organize five T20I matches in total, instead of the three ODI matches, putting their focus on preparing their teams ahead of the World Cup, which is to be held next year.
Javaria Khalid is a Web Contributor at The Diplomatic Insight Magazine. She specializes in covering geopolitical developments, international relations, diplomatic, and socio-economic developments in Europe and Pakistan.
