Bangladesh’s momentous second victory in New Zealand in the space of five days was once again established by a self-assured bowling unit. On Wednesday at Mclean Park in Napier, the Tigers defeated the Black Caps by five wickets in the first of three Twenty20 Internationals.
The visitors, buoyed by a nine-wicket victory in the third and final ODI played at the same venue on Saturday, bowled an early dismissal of the host side.
Shoriful Islam maintained his leadership position once more, dismissing the opposition with three consecutive sixets in his inaugural over, for a total of three for 26 off his allotted four overs.
With the assistance of a combined effort from pacers and spinners, Bangladesh bowled New Zealand to 134 for nine, ultimately emerging victorious despite encountering some setbacks.
The game’s MVP, Mahedi Hasan, demonstrated remarkable proficiency with the new ball, whereas the seasoned Mustafizur Rahman also contributed significantly. Each individual captured two wickets, contributing to a wasteful economy of less than four runs per over.
Paceman Tanzim Hasan Sakib and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain both contributed significantly to the breakthrough, but they remained prohibitively expensive. Mahedi stated that the Tigers bowling unit demonstrated a truly collaborative effort.
“Our pacers have been operating efficiently.” Observe that only one or two competitors will be able to win matches. “Therefore, it is crucial that all members of the team perform well,” Mahedi stated following the match.
All players make an effort to contribute, as this is a team sport. “Because of the exceptional performance of the pacers and spinners, we were able to restrict them to a modest total.”
He proceeded: “Before the game, it is impossible to have a predetermined strategy, as every outcome is determined within the final 22 yards. Critically essential was our momentum, which enabled us to complete the task successfully.
On numerous occasions, the [opposite] batting side managed to amass a substantial total despite sacrificing a few early wickets. But I believe we maintained our momentum and prevented them from forming a significant partnership. We performed satisfactorily, in my opinion.
“In Twenty20s, momentum changes when one or two partnerships are present; we were able to restrict this.” Our bowlers were able to sense the batsmen and bowled in accordance with the channel.
Mahedi believes that the Tigers bowlers acquired considerable confidence following their ODI victory over Bangladesh, in which they limited the 2023 World Cup semifinalists to their lowest ODI total of 98.
“In my opinion, the team’s confidence increases inevitably when the bowlers chip in. “Based on the manner in which our bowlers performed in the previous ODI, I believe the message was clear to them: they must bowl intelligently in order to prevail in such conditions,” he said.