Photo: Collected
Although there was a mid-innings slowdown, Bangladesh in the end cruised to a six-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the five-match series to go 2-0 up.
Bangladesh chased down 139 with nine balls to spare. Towhid Hridoy (37* off 25) and Mahmudullah (26* off 16) got runs but the batting from the top order left a lot to be desired.
Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan added 41 in 5.5 overs before the latter got out after scoring 18 off 19. Litton, under pressure because of his indifferent batting form, started well but slowed down after the powerplay and ended up losing his wicket for 23 off 25.
Najmul Hossain Shanto (16 off 15) and Jaker Ali (13 off 12) failed to score quickly and at the halfway mark, Bangladesh were three runs behind the DLS par score.
Zimbabwe hoped for a comeback with the ball after reducing the hosts to 93-4 in the 14th over but Hridoy and Mahmudullah bailed them out of trouble.
The duo added for the fifth wicket to finish the game in overs.
Debutant Johnathan Campbell and Brian Bennett's rearguard action helped Zimbabwe overcome a poor start and post 138-7 in the first innings of the second T20I against Bangladesh in Chattogram.
Campbell's 45 off just 23 was the highest score by a Zimbabwe batter on T20I debut, going past Tari Musakanda's 43 against Pakistan in 2018.
Campbell, son of former Zimbabwe skipper Alistair Campbell, struck four boundaries and three maximums in his valiant knock. He added 73 off just 7.1 overs with Bennett who himself played a handy innings of 44* off 29.
It was another horror start from Zimbabwe with the bat as they were tied down by some tight bowling from the hosts.
The top-order batters from Zimbabwe barely had answers to the new-ball bowlers and the lack of intent was evident as well from the likes of Joylord Gumbie, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Craig Ervine.
Taskin Ahmed, winner of the Player of the Match award in the first T20I, troubled the visitors with his pace and a hint of seam movement. The right-arm seamer got his reward when he trapped the left-handed Marumani leg-before.
Marumani was initially not given out on the field but a successful review from Najmul Hossain Shanto saw the back of the southpaw.
Zimbabwe were 22-1 at the end of the powerplay, their lowest score in the first six overs for them against Bangladesh. They failed to find a single boundary despite the field restrictions.
Mohammad Saifuddin, who took three wickets in his comeback game on Friday, ended Gumbie's torturous stay in the middle. He made 17 off 30.
Rishad Hossain's double strike to remove captain Sikandar Raza and Clive Madande reduced the tourists to 36-4 in the 10th over.
The situation worsened when Mahedi Hasan returned for his second spell to get rid of Ervine in the next over.
But Campbell and Bennett combined to help Zimbabwe recover and notch up a respectable total.
Messenger/Sumon
