Bangladesh produced a clinical all-round performance to
secure a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the third and
final ODI at the Harare Sports Club. While the hosts had already sealed the
three-match series by winning the first two fixtures, Bangladesh’s commanding
performance in the finale helped them avoid a series whitewash, concluding the
ODI leg with a 2-1 scoreline.
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| Image Credits: Cricinfo |
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, the visitors
put Zimbabwe under immediate pressure. The home side experimented with their
bench strength, resting frontline seamers, and quickly crumbled to a precarious
27 for 3. A resilient 75 from Wessly Madhevere and a fighting half-century from
Brad Evans steered Zimbabwe out of total collapse. Nonetheless, Shoriful
Islam’s brilliant spell of 4 for 44 helped dismantle the hosts for a modest 199
in 48.1 overs.
Bangladesh chased down the target with remarkable ease,
finishing at 200 for 3 in just 36 overs. Openers Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar
laid a phenomenal foundation, breaking a long-standing drought with a stellar
100-plus run partnership. Sarkar played the anchor with an eye-catching 69 off
82 deliveries. Meanwhile, Tanzid Hasan took the attack to the bowlers, blasting
a magnificent 94 off 101 balls.
Though Tanzid fell agonizingly short of a well-deserved century just three runs away from the target, his match-winning performance earned him top honors as Bangladesh cruised across the finish line with 14 overs to spare.
