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Copa America 2021 Final: Di Maria’s Early Strike Sinks Brazil
Argentina clinched the Copa America 2021 after beating Brazil 1-0 on Sunday (11th June) in front of nearly 5,000 spectators at the Maracana Stadium. Albiceleste adopted a cautious approach to the game after Di Maria gave them an early lead while Brazil did their best to cut the lead but were unable to do so due to a determined Argentine defense.Messi had a golden opportunity to score in the final towards the end of the match but instead blew it because he couldn't keep control of the ball. The match report of the Copa America 2021 final is discussed in this article.
Read:Messi’s Argentina beats Brazil 1-0, wins Copa America title
Match Report of Copa America 2021 Final: Argentina vs Brazil
Argentina won the Copa America for the first time in 28 years courtesy of Angel Di Maria's stunning first-half goal.Argentina took an early lead in the 22nd minute of the final match at the iconic Maracana Stadium as veteran attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria put the ball into the Brazil net after receiving a perfect cross from midfielder Rodrigo de Paul.
Before Di Maria's goal, both teams tried to play a little more carefully. But after falling behind by one goal, Brazil began to dominate the game and had complete control of the ball. They were creating opportunities, but a tenacious Argentine defense denied them.
Read:Brazil and Argentina both have keys to win Copa America
Brazil ramped up the heat in the second half and despite putting all of their best-attacking players on the field they were unable to equalize against an Argentine defense led by two great midfielders, Rodrigo de Paul and Paredes.
Messi was unusually silent throughout the contest. He squandered a wonderful opportunity to put the game away from Brazil with two minutes left in the game. However, Brazil were unable to score in the end, and Argentina won the championship.
Read Euro 2020 final: Italy holds historical edge over England
Messi finished as a joint top scorer with 5 goals and won the best player award along with Neymar.
The referee issued nine yellow cards In the Copa America 2021 final. Brazil got four yellow cards, while Argentina received five.
This was Brazil's first competitive loss since the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia when they were defeated by Belgium while Argentina have gone undefeated in 20 games under head coach Lionel Scaloni.
Read: Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time
Bottom Line
Argentina won their record 15th Copa America championship thanks to an early goal by Angel Di Maria. Neymar's Brazil put forth a valiant effort throughout the match, but the Argentine defense held firm for the majority of the time, and Brazil was unable to score. This is Argentina's first major trophy in almost three decades.
Prior to this year's edition, they last won the Copa America in 1993. Football sensation Lionel Messi also earned his first major title with the Argentine national team after appearing in five finals, including four Copa America and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Copa America 2021 had seen some incredible individual performances, and the best team ultimately won the tournament.
Read Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi vs Neymar da Silva
Messi’s Argentina beats Brazil 1-0, wins Copa America title
Two long droughts ended on Saturday at the Copa America final: Argentina won its first major title since 1993 after a 1-0 win against Brazil. And Lionel Messi finally lifted his first major trophy for the national team, filling in one of the biggest gaps in his decorated career.
Argentina’s winning goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro came in the 22nd minute after Rodrigo de Paul made a long pass to Ángel di Maria. The 33-year-old veteran striker counted on some sloppy defending from left-back Renan Lodi to take control and lob it past goalkeeper Ederson.
When the match ended, a tearful Mess i knelt down and put his hands on his face. Then most of his teammates ran in his direction to celebrate and threw him into the air. Once criticized by Argentina fans for his quietness, he went to the few hundred guests chanting his name at the Maracana and chanted with them. Messi kissed the trophy before lifting it into the air during the presentations.
The match at the Maracana started with some surprises. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made five changes from the starting lineup that beat Colombia on penalties in the semifinal.
Also read: Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi vs Neymar da Silva
Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Marcos Acuña, Leandro Paredes and Di María took the places of Nahuel Molina, Nicolás Tagliafico, Guido Rodríguez and Nicolás González.
Brazil, a team recognized for its steadiness, did not make any changes from the team that advanced to the final.
The teams were cautious early in the match, barely offering chances. When Argentina opened the scoring in a rare Brazil defensive mistake and Di Maria’s classy finish, the match became more physical and Argentina successfully stopped the ball from getting to Neymar.
Neymar tried hard with dribbles and passes, but the Selecao barely threatened Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the first half. Argentina sat in the back, hoping for counter-attacks.
Brazil coach Tite tried to change the dynamic of the match by replacing defensive midfielder Fred for Roberto Firmino, and managed to do so for much of the second half. But though the Selecao had more ball posession there were few real opportunities.
Messi’s performance in the final was not as impressive as in previous matches of the tournament, during which he scored four goals and had five assists. He had a clear opportunity in the 88th minute, tried to dribble Ederson, but the Brazilian goalkeeper stopped him.
Also read: AFC U23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh drawn in strong Group D.
“I can’t cry yet,” Di Maria said after the match. “We dreamed of getting this, and we fought. Many people criticized us and asked us not to come back (to the national team).”
The title, however, provides Messi some relief after all the questions throughout his career on his effectiveness playing for the national team.
The South American trophy is a relief for Argentina, which won its last major title when Messi was only 6 years old. Saturday’s victory in Rio gave the team its 15th Copa America title, this time unbeaten, equaling Uruguay’s total. Brazil has won the South American title nine times.
“If we achieved something, it was by making things natural. It is above all about transparency, one enters the other leaves. No one has a safe place,” said Argentina coach Scaloni. :“I hope fans enjoy this. They wanted to win it as much as us, they felt identification with this team, which may play well or badly, but never gives up.”
Messi, who has several titles with Barcelona, had reached the final of Copa America three times and lost all of them in 2007, 2015 and 2016. Now, he will have good memories at the Maracana, where Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany.
In its path to the title, Argentina won four out of five matches in group stage, including a hard-fought 1-0 encounter with Uruguay. It beat Ecuador 3-0 in the quarterfinals and topped Colombia on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
Also read:Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time
Brazil became last-minute hosts of Copa America two weeks before kick off after original organizers Colombia and Argentina withdrew. Many players protested against the tournament taking place as the COVID-19 pandemic causes thousands of deaths a day in South America, even more so in Brazil where 532,000 have died.
Officials allowed a few thousand fans into the Maracana for the decider, the only match in the tournament to have spectators. There was very little social distancing in celebrations, and some fans removed their masks.
England, Italy set for thrilling EURO 2020 showdown on Sunday
England and Italy are set to face off on Sunday to be crowned the best in European football at London's iconic Wembley Stadium.
Italy are looking forward to win their first European title after 53 years when they beat Yugoslavia (1-1 and 2-0) in the EURO 1968 final, Anadolu Agency reported.
They then lost two finals in European Championships, a 2-1 loss to France in EURO 2000 and a 4-0 defeat to Spain in EURO 2012.
The Azzurri's defeat to Spain in EURO 2012 final is the biggest margin of defeat in a European Championship final.
With four final matches at the European Championships, they are now tied with Spain and the Soviet Union for second place behind Germany, which appeared in six finals.
Also read: Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time
Roberto Mancini's side topped Group A by beating Turkey and Switzerland 3-0, and sealing a 1-0 victory against Wales.
Following the group stage, they beat Austria in the last 16 and Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals, moving to the final after defeating Spain on penalties in the semifinals.
They conceded three goals, while Ciro Immobile, Federico Chiesa, Manuel Locatelli, Lorenzo Insigne and Matteo Pessina scored two goals each.
According to Anadolu Agency, the historic EURO 2020 game with 60,000 spectators will be the Three Lions' first-ever final in the European Championship, and their first final appearance in a major tournament since claiming the 1966 World Cup title.
England won only two of their last 14 games against Italy in all competitions, 2-0 in June 1997 and 2-1 in August 2013 – both friendly matches.
However, in the 1977 World Cup qualification, the English team won against Italy 2-0 – the only victory in eight competitive games during the tournament.
Also read: Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi vs Neymar da Silva
They are unbeaten in their last 12 matches in all competitions, keeping 10 clean sheets and conceding just two goals.
Collecting seven points, England won Group D in the EURO 2020 ahead of Croatia, Czech Republic, and Scotland.
The Three Lions reached the final, eliminating Germany, Ukraine, and Denmark, respectively, conceding just one goal following the conclusion of the group stage.
Only three nations have ever lifted the Euros title on home ground – Spain (1964), Italy (1968), and France (1984).
Portugal (2004) and France (2016) made it to the final, but lost.
The match will be officiated by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers.
The 48-year-old was also the referee in the 2014 World Cup's group stage match when England suffered a 2-1 defeat to Italy.
Bangladesh seven wickets away from a win in Harare
Bangladesh need seven more wickets to register a win in Harare Test against Zimbabwe.
Aiming to score 477 runs to win the game, Zimbabwe ended day four at 140 for three in 40 overs. Brendan Taylor was tremendous with the bat. He scored 92 off 73 balls with 16 fours.
A century looked imminent for him, but Mehidy Hasan Miraz tricked him with a loose ball outside off. Taylor tried a big shot at the last moment and ended up sending a return catch to the bowler.
He was the second wicket to fall for the hosts after Milton Shumba who fell for 11 to Taskin Ahmed. Shakib Al Hasan, who bagged four wickets in the first innings, scalped the third wicket removing Takudzwanashe Kaitano, who was the highest scorer for Zimbabwe in the first innings.
Earlier, Bangladesh declared their second innings on 284 for one in 67.4 overs, with Shadman Islam and Shanto Mahmud remained unbeaten for 115 and 117 respectively.
Shadman needed 180 balls to reach his maiden three-figure score in international cricket. He smashed eight fours along the way. While going to 100 from 85, Shanto hit two sixes and reached his hundred in 109 balls.
Also read: Shadman, Shanto hit centuries as Bangladesh secure 476-run lead
In the second-wicket stand, they added 196 runs, which is now the third-highest stand in the second wicket for Bangladesh in Tests.
With the 192-run first-innings lead, Bangladesh secured a huge lead of 476 runs with a little over fours sessions to play.
In their first innings, Zimbabwe tumbled for 276 while replying to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 468.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged five wickets, and Shakib Al Hasan took four.
For Zimbabwe, the debutant Takudzwanashe Kaitano scored 87 which was the highest by any Zimbabwean batsman. Brendan Taylor also hit a fifty for the hosts.
Earlier, Mahmudullah Riyad scored an unbeaten 150 for Bangladesh while Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed and Mominul scored 95, 70 and 75 respectively to post a huge first-innings total despite losing two early wickets.
Also read: Five-for in overseas Test will boost my confidence: Mehidy
Brief score:
Bangladesh first innings: 468/10 in 126 overs (Mahmudullah 150*, Liton 95, Taskin 75, Mominul 70); Muzrabani 4/94, Tiripano 2/58, Nyauchi 2/92
Zimbabwe first innings: 276/10 in 111.5 overs (Kaitano 87, Taylor 81, Shumba 41); Mehidy 5/82, Shakib 4/82
Bangladesh second innings: 284/1 declared in 67.4 overs (Shanto 117*, Shadman 115*); Ngarava 1/36,
Zimbabwe second innings: 140/3 in 40 overs (Taylor 92, Myers 18*); Shakib 1/23, Taskin 1/39, Mehidy 1/45.
Brazil and Argentina both have keys to win Copa America
Brazil and Argentina have several keys that could see either team win the Copa America title on Saturday at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Led by a Barcelona -style Lionel Messi, Argentina players appear convinced they will put an end to a 28-year title drought. Its opponent Brazil looks even better than two years ago when it lifted Copa America without Neymar and with fans on the stands.
Brazil seeks its 10th South American title, while Argentina is going for its 15th, which would put it level with record winners Uruguay.
Here are some reasons why both teams have what it takes to win the title.
ARGENTINA
MESSI: the team captain is playing his best tournament with Argentina since his debut in 2005. He’s scored four goals and has five assists so far. Beyond his playmaking virtues, the 34-year-old is looking comfortable as a leader on the pitch — in a contrast with the shy Messi of past tournaments.
EMILIANO MARTÍNEZ: he is the first goalkeeper to stop three penalties in a shootout in Argentina’s history. Against Colombia, he trash-talked his opponents before each shot, which apparently worked. He looks safe in the position, has a good footwork and blocks crosses with precision.
Also read: Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time
LIONEL SCALONI: The young coach took over as an intern in 2018 to leave behind Argentina’s meltdown in the 2018 World Cup when the team lost to France in the round of 16. Now he is responsible for a renewal to team players like defender Cristian Romero, winger Nicolás González and goalkeeper Martínez.
LAUTARO MARTÍNEZ: The striker nearly lost his position to veteran Sergio Agüero after a slow start in the tournament, but he has now scored in the last three matches. He tires opponents with his runs, opens gaps for Messi and still scores some goals.
PROTECTION TO MESSI: Rodrigo de Paul and Giovani Lo Celso are not the most creative midfielders in the world. But they are still high-level passers who will sacrifice defending so Messi can shine in the final third. Leandro Paredes and Guido Rodriguez also take that responsibility in the center, no matter who is playing.
BRAZIL
STEADINESS: Brazil won five matches and drew against Ecuador when it fielded a team with six substitutes. So far, the Selecao has scored in every match and conceded only two goals in the group stage. It usually plays better in the second half, when most of its opponents are fatigued. Substitutes have managed to keep the team’s intensity high when they join in.
Also read: Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi vs Neymar da Silva
NEYMAR: His dribbles, passes and shots add to Brazil’s steadiness. Neymar scored two goals and had three assists in five matches — he was rested against Ecuador. His exchanges with midfielder Lucas Paquetá made Brazil more fluid up front. As Neymar showed against Peru in the semifinal, he can still come up with tricks that result in goals.
TITE: Brazil’s coach has used the tournament to test playing alternatives, eyeing the World Cup in Qatar. As a result, his team depends less on Neymar and adapts well to different situations. By using Gabriel Jesus as a winger, he created opportunities for new players to step up as target men, including Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Barbosa. Tite has also found Paquetá as a promising box-to-box player.
DEFENDERS: Veteran Thiago Silva is still in top form, Marquinhos is as quick as most strikers and Éder Militão has proven to be a potential Brazil starter in the long run. The two goals Brazil conceded at Copa America came on an unstoppable volley by Luis Diaz against Colombia and by Angel Mena in a rare mistake against Ecuador.
Shadman, Shanto hit centuries as Bangladesh secure 476-run lead
Left-handed openers Shadman Islam smashed his maiden ton in the one-off Harare Test against Zimbabwe on Saturday.
Najmul Hossain Shanto also picked up his second Test hundred. Riding on their wonderful batting display, Bangladesh secured a lead of 476 runs.
Read: Five-for in overseas Test will boost my confidence: Mehidy
Zimbabwe will now have to score 477 to win this match in with a full one day and one session plus some overs remaining in this match.
Read: Breach of Code of Conduct: Taskin and Muzarabani fined
Bangladesh declared their second innings on 284 for one in 67.4 overs, with Shadman and Shanto unbeaten on 115 and 117 respectively.
Read: Bangladesh secure huge first-innings lead after Mehidy bags five
Shadman needed 180 balls to reach three-figure score in international cricket. He smashed eight fours along the way. While going to 100 from 85, Shanto hit two sixes and reached his hundred in 109 balls.
Bangladesh only lost the wicket of Saif Hasan before declaring on second innings.
In the second-wicket stand, they added 196 runs, which is now the third-highest stand in the second wicket for Bangladesh in Tests.
Earlier, Zimbabwe tumbled for 276 while replying to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 468, and Bangladesh secured a huge lead of 192 runs.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged five wickets, and Shakib Al Hasan took four.
For Zimbabwe, the debutant Takudzwanashe Kaitano scored 87 which was the highest by any Zimbabwean batsman. Brendan Taylor also hit a fifty for the hosts.
Earlier, Mahmudullah Riyad scored an unbeaten 150 for Bangladesh while Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed and Mominul scored 95, 70 and 75 respectively to post a huge first-innings total despite losing two early wickets.
Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi vs Neymar da Silva
The most popular footballers from the South American continent are Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Neymar da Silva. Both have a vast fan following across the world due to their outstanding footballing talents. Without a doubt, these two individuals are the most important players for their respective countries and will make a difference in the Copa America 2021 final, which will be held at the Maracana stadium on Sunday (11th July) at 6 a.m. (BST).Messi and Neymar have been outstanding in this year's competition. Their overall impact on the Copa America 2021 tournament leading up to the final is discussed in this article.
Lionel Messi's Copa America 2021 Record Ahead of the Final
Lionel Messi has been in superb form since the start of the Copa America 2021 competition. He has directed the Albiceleste with wisdom in order to win a major tournament for the first time in 28 years. Argentina have not won a Copa America event since 1993.
Read Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time.
They've participated in four South American Championship finals and a 2014 World Cup final in Brazil since then, but have yet to win a tournament. So, this is most likely Messi's final realistic chance to win a major event with Argentina's national team.
Messi has scored goals in a variety of ways in this competition. He has scored from Penalties, free kicks, and a well-executed counterattack. He has assisted his teammates in scoring goals particularly Lautaro Martinez. This young striker found his rhythm in the midst of the competition and earned a spot in the starting XI in place of veteran Sergio Aguero.
Lionel Messi has also shown outstanding chemistry with midfielders Giovani Lo Celso, Rodrigo de Paul, and Papu Gomez. Argentina and Messi have done well because this collection of players gels well together.
Read AFC U23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh drawn in strong Group D.
Messi has already set a number of records in this tournament, including the most international matches for Argentina, 150 international appearances, the most assists in a single Copa America tournament, and the most six Copa America appearances for Argentina.
Lionel Messi will play most of 34 matches in Copa America history if he appears in the final.If he scores in the final on Sunday, he would become the most international scorer in the South American continent. Messi is now one goal away from equaling Pele's 77 goals in international games.
Lionel Messi’s Copa America 2021 Stats
Matches: 6* | Goals: 4| Assists: 5
Read Euro 2020 final: Italy holds historical edge over England.
Neymar da Silva's Copa America 2021 Record Ahead of the Final
Brazil are the defending champion, and Neymar da Silva has steered the Selecao with flair in order to retain the trophy. He has been in outstanding form since the beginning of the Copa America 2021 competition.
The last time we witnessed a Brazil-Argentina final in 2007. Brazil won that South American Championship with a 3-0 victory against Argentina in the final.
Read English FA charged with offenses after win.
Despite Neymar has only scored two goals in five games, he is the driving force behind Brazil's attack. Neymar's excellent vision and rapport with teammates Lucas Paqueta, Everton, Casemiro, Fred, and Richarlison have boosted Brazil's successful attack on the opposition's defense.
Brazil have maintained their dominance in the midfield throughout the tournament and is arguably the best team in the competition. Led by Neymar, Brazil have found solid options in the offensive half, and finding a space in Brazil's defense to earn a goal will be a difficult task for Argentina.
Neymar has appeared in over 100 international matches for Brazil and is a seasoned professional. Neymar will be even more motivated to help Brazil win their 10th South American championship against Messi's Argentina, as a victory in the final will solidify his position as one of the best players of his generation.
Read Ex-Madrid captain Sergio Ramos signs 2-year deal with PSG.
Neymar’s Copa America 2021 Stats
Matches: 5* | Goals: 2| Assists: 3
MessivsNeymar: Head to Head Record
Messi and Neymar have played each other four times on the international level, with each winning twice. Aside from the international arena, the two have only met once at the club level. Messi's Barcelona routed Neymar's Santos 4-0 in the 2011 Club World Cup final.
Messi first met Neymar on the international arena in 2010, when Argentina overcame Brazil 1-0 in a friendly match. Messi scored the only goal in that encounter. Two years later, Messi's dazzling performance in a friendly at the East Rutherford, New Jersey stadium shocked the Brazilian fans. Messi's hat-trick gave Argentina a 4-3 victory over Brazil.
Read BPL, BCL Football resume July 14.
Neymar's Brazil came out on top (2-0) in a friendly match against their arch-rival Argentina in 2014. Messi missed a penalty kick in that match.
The only time Neymar scored against Messi's Argentina in a 2016 World Cup qualifying match, where Brazil won the contest 3-0. As per the above statistics, Messi now has a 3-2 head-to-head advantage. Messi has also scored six goals, whereas Neymar has only scored once.
Bottom Line
Lionel Messi has a small edge over Neymar da Silva after assessing who has had the most influence on their national sides in the ongoing Copa America 2021 competition prior to the final. However, no one can ignore Neymar's outstanding performance against Peru in the semifinals, which helped Brazil reach the final. Both Lionel Messi and Neymar will give it their all to win the tournament for their respective countries. Therefore, a dramatic final between these two teams at the famous Maracana stadium is expected.
Read Italy vs England Final: EURO 2020 Match Preview.
Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time
Brazil and Argentina will face off for the fifth time in a tournament final when they determine which team will carry the Copa America trophy out of the Maracana Stadium on Saturday. Brazil holds a 3-1 edge in their 84-year history of matches.
Here is how those finals went:
1937 COPA AMERICA: Argentina 2, Brazil 0
The Copa America format was a round-robin tournament and was supposed to have no final. But in 1937 the two arch-rivals finished level with eight points each, and instead of considering goal difference to pick the winner, Brazil and Argentina agreed to play for the trophy. The match ended 0-0 after 90 minutes at the Gasómetro, the old stadium of San Lorenzo in Buenos Aires. Argentina won its fifth continental title in extra time with two goals by Vicente de la Mata.
READ: Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time
2004 COPA AMERICA: Brazil 2, Argentina 2 (Brazil wins on penalties)Argentina’s win seemed all but certain as the match at the Estadio Nacional in Lima ticked down. Argentina had opened the scoring with Christian Gonzalez from the spot, saw Luisão equalize in the end of the first half, but a shot by César Delgado three minutes before the end had then defending World Cup champions Brazil nearly knocked out. But striker Adriano scored on the last shot of the match to send the match to penalties. Brazil’s goalkeeper Julio César stopped Andrés D’Alessandro and Argentina’s Gabriel Heinze missed his chance from the spot. Juan scored the decisive penalty for Brazil, which won Copa America for the seventh time.
2005 CONFEDERATIONS CUP: Brazil 4, Argentina 1
Brazil eliminated host Germany in the semifinals while Argentina knocked Mexico out and the archrivals met in a final that many expected to be close. It wasn’t. Brazil thrashed Argentina despite Robinho replacing the injured Ronaldo. Adriano scored the first goal with a blast from outside the box in the 12th minute. Kaká found the back of the net from nearly the same position only five minutes later. Ronaldinho, the best player in the world at the time, netted the third in the 48th minute from close range and Adriano finished the rivals off with a header in the 64th minute. Pablo Aimar scored Argentina’s only goal.
READ: AFC U23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh drawn in strong Group D
2007 COPA AMERICA: Brazil 3, Argentina 0
Argentina was widely expected to win the South American tournament that year. At age 20, Lionel Messi played the final in Maracaibo with Juan Román Riquelme and Carlos Tevez up front, but could not make a difference for the favorites. Brazil scored with Júlio Baptista, an own goal by Roberto Ayala and then Dani Alves. It was the Seleção’s second consecutive title in the tournament. It was also Messi’s first disappointment with Argentina in tournament finals.
Five-for in overseas Test will boost my confidence: Mehidy
Bangladesh off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, fresh off a superb afternoon in Harare as Zimbabwe were bowled out, has said that having a five-wicket haul in an overseas Test will surely increase his confidence.
In the ongoing Harare Test against Zimbabwe, Mehidy bagged five wickets conceding 82 runs, which is his second overseas and overall eighth five-for in Tests. His previous five-for in an overseas Test was in 2018 against West Indies.
Read: Bangladesh secure huge first-innings lead after Mehidy bags five
“I got a five-for in Test after a long time. It’ll surely boost my confidence. I had got a five-for against West Indies in 2018, and now again I did the same,” Mehidy said over a video message sent by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Riding on his bowling performance, Bangladesh secured a huge 191-run lead in the first innings of the Harare Test. At the end of the third day, Bangladesh started their second innings and scored 45 without losing any wicket.
“The wicket was slightly slow and flat. So my job as a spinner was so tough. I tried to bowl at the right areas, and contain the run. I wanted their batsmen to make errors and they eventually did it,” Mehidy added.
In reply to Bangladesh’s 468, Zimbabwe lost eight wickets in 51 runs, and they tumbled for 276 runs. Mehidy added that the strategy to contain the runs has helped them a lot to take some quick wickets.
Breach of Code of Conduct: Taskin and Muzarabani fined
Bangladesh player Taskin Ahmed and Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani have both been fined 15 percent of their match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the second day of the one-off Test in Harare, ICC confirmed Friday.
Read: Taskin credits batting success to coach Cook
They were found to have breached Article 2.1.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match.”
In addition to this, one demerit point each has been added to the disciplinary records of the players, both of whom did not have any previous offence in a 24-month period.
Read: Mahmudullah, Taskin help Tigers pass 400-run mark
The incident occurred in the 85th over of Bangladesh’s first innings on Thursday. After Muzarabani had bowled a delivery to Taskin, the two players moved aggressively towards each other, and contact was made after words were exchanged face to face.
Both players admitted the offence and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the COVID-19 interim playing regulations. There was no need for formal hearings.
Read: Tigers post 468 as Mahmudullah, Taskin share second-highest 9th-wicket partnership
On-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Langton Rusere, third umpire Iknow Chabi and fourth official Forster Mutizwa levelled the charges.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh are leading by 237 runs in this Test at the end of the third day’s game. Bangladesh batted first and posted 468 in the first innings riding on an unbeaten 150 of Mahmudullah Riyad, 95 of Liton Das, 75 of Taskin and 70 of Mominul Haque.
In reply, Zimbabwe tumbled for 276 as Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged five wickets and Shakib Al Hasan took four. Bangladesh started the second innings and at the end of day three, they were at 45 without losing any wicket.