Zimbabwe overcame Bangladesh by 5 wickets in the BAN vs ZIM 1st ODI 2022 on Friday and have taken a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series. Bangladesh’s fielding was poor throughout the match, which eventually proved costly for the visitors. On the other hand, all-rounder Sikandar Raza played a massive role for Zimbabwe, helping his side to seal the contest with 10 balls remaining. Let’s take a look at five important talking points from the first ODI match.

Five noteworthy points from the first ODI between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe

The opening match of the ODI series was a nicely-contested affair which Zimbabwe eventually quite comfortably won with 5 wickets in hand. Here are the five key discussion points from the BAN vs ZIM 1st ODI 2022.

Zimbabwe’s first ODI victory against Bangladesh in nine years

When had Zimbabwe last defeated Bangladesh in an ODI match prior to their victory over Bangladesh by five wickets in the first game of the series on Friday? One needs to go back to May 2013, when Zimbabwe last defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets and won a bilateral series 2-1.

After nine long years and 19 consecutive losses, Zimbabwe finally managed to beat Bangladesh in an ODI contest on August 5, 2022. Chasing a massive 304-run target, a 192-run partnership between Innocent Kaia and Sikandar Raza in the fourth wicket eased the victory for Zimbabwe. Young Kaia made 110, while Raza contributed an unbeaten 135*.

Read BAN vs ZIM ODI Series 2022: Bangladesh aim to level the series in 2nd ODI

Tamim Iqbal becomes the first Bangladesh player to score 8,000 ODI runs

Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal was only 57 runs shy of completing his 8,000 ODI runs prior to the BAN vs ZIM 1st ODI 2022. The Southpaw achieved the milestone by scoring 62 runs in the match. He became the first Bangladesh player and the 33rd overall to score 8,000 runs in one-day internationals. He also became the ninth player as an opener to score more than 8K ODI runs. Besides, prior to Tamim, only four Asian batters scored more than 8,000 runs as an opener in 50-overs international cricket.

Five Asian cricketers who have amassed more than 8,000 ODI runs serve as the opener

Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Also read: Will do what it takes to beat Zimbabwe in ODIs: Tamim

Bangladesh team needs to improve its fielding

Bangladesh’s fielding has deteriorated in recent international series. In particular, dropping catches is one of the major areas of concern for Bangladesh players. In the first ODI against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh fielders dropped four catches, including two in the 33rd over by Shoriful Islam. On both occasions, Innocent Kaia was the batter who was well set at the crease. Bangladesh fielders need to work on their catching and ground fielding in order to be more prepared for international contests.

Anamul Haque better suited to the one-day format

Anamul Haque earned a place in the Bangladesh national team squad after a tremendous performance with the bat in the one-day format 2022 DPL. However, he has been given a chance to play in the Test and T20 formats and has continuously failed to shine on the international scene.

The right-hand top order batter finally got a chance to play his ideal one-day format on Friday, and he fully capitalized on the opportunity by playing a 73 off 62 balls. With this impressive innings, Anamul justifies his selection in the ODI setup. Anamul Haque should be given more chances to earn selectors faith.

Read Rampant Raza, Innocent guide Zimbabwe home against listless Tigers

Who will replace the injured Litton Das?

Litton Das will miss the remainder of the Zimbabwe tour due to a hamstring injury sustained during the series-opening ODI. The right-handed batter’s participation in the Asia Cup 2022 is in jeopardy because of this unexpected injury. Who will replace Litton Das for the remainder of the games? The obvious choice is Najmul Hossain Shanto. However, not having Litton Das in the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup will be a huge blow for Bangladesh.

Aftermath

The Bangladesh national team has had a poor trip of Zimbabwe thus far. They fell to the hosts 2-1 in the Twenty20 International series. After winning the BAN versus ZIM 1st ODI 2022, Bangladesh have now lost to Zimbabwe in an ODI for the first time in 20 matches.

In the first match, the visiting side failed to put pressure on the opposition batters by dropping multiple catches and allowing Kaia and Raza to form a huge partnership for the fourth wicket. The Tigers need to make a strong comeback in the remaining two matches in order to win the series. The Zimbabwe team, on the other hand, sees it as a fantastic opportunity to defeat Bangladesh in a bilateral ODI series for the first time in nine years.

Read Bangladesh bat first in 1st ODI vs Zimbabwe