ZIM vs BAN | Wessley Madhevere, Masakadza help the hosts level T20I series with scintillating win

Going into the second T20I, the Zimbabwe team were under huge pressure having lost the one-off Test, being whitewashed in the ODI series 3-0 and then humbled in the first T20I by eight wickets. But credit to their belief and skills on display on Friday, July 23 at the Harare Sports Club, Harare that they came out triumphant and managed to level the series and gave themselves hope to win the shortest format of the three format Bangladesh’s tour of their nation. 

Wessley Madhevere was the star of the show for the hosts as he hit his third fifty and highest individual T20I score of 73 from 57 balls to take Zimbabwe to a total of 166 in the 20 overs. But along with Madhevere, the Zimbabwean bowlers were superb as well with Wellington Masakadza and Blessing Muzarabani making inroads into the Bangladesh innings and in the end getting them all out for 143 and winning the game by 23 runs. 

The Bangladeshi chase didn’t start well at all with both the openers, their heroes from the last game getting dismissed in the third over of the innings by Muzarabani. Once Mohammad Naim and Soumya Sarkar were dismissed, the bowlers in Red and Gold got bold and started attacking, even more, eventually removing Shakib Al Hasan, skipperMahmudullah and big-hitting Mahedi Hasan even before the team score touched 70. Nurul Hasan, another of the cameo players from the last two games could not do much either.

Debutant Shamim Hossain Patwari and Afif Hossain tried to make chase out of an otherwise disappointing effort till then. Patwarihit same gleeful and extraordinary shops for a 20-year-old, leaving up to his selection on the basis of the Dhaka PremnierLeaguie performances. However one shot too many meant that the 23 balls 41 runs partnership was brought to an end by Luke Jongwe as Patwari departed for 29 off 12 balls. 

At 109-7, the game was still alive as Mohammad Sifudiin, a proven talent with the bat joined Afif who had already starred with the bat in two of  Bangladesh’s ODIs wins so far. But it wasn’t simply his day as he was caught at the deep fine leg by Milton Shumba off a short ball by Tendai Chatara. 

The formalities were then completed by Jongwe as he picked two wickets in the last over and got his side to a much-needed win. 

Earlier in the day, after winning the toss, Zimbabwe skipper SikanderRaza won the toss and decided to bat first. And even after Regis Chakabva, Tadiwanashe Marumani and skipper Raza failing himself, Madhever with the help of Dion Myers in the middle and some late blows oi Ryan Burl took their team to a defendable total. The 20-year-old right-hander was eventually awarded man of the match for his brilliant innings. 

Reacting to the win, the Zimbabwe skipper Raza said, “Today we managed to tick a lot more boxes than we managed yesterday. I would have taken 166 at the start of the match and with a young squad, it gives us confidence.” The 35-year-old, 105 ODIs veteran further hoped that the team will stick to the plan in the final game as well. “We back ourselves to defend... Blessing listened to the team plan... and hopefully, we all listen to the team plan for the final game!"

On the other hand, Mahmudullah was disappointed with his team’s effort and said, “We didn't have a good partnership and missed a few chances in the field. We need to look into those areas and come back stronger."

The two teams meet next on Sunday, July 25 for the final match of the tour as well as the series.