ODI series
Tamim, Shohan guide Tigers to ODI series sweep against Zimbabwe
They say it all begins at the top. And for Bangladesh too, openers Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das did it all.
Yes, with Tamim smashing his fastest ODI ton and later Nurul Hasan Shohan celebrating his comeback, the Tigers Tuesday registered a clean sweep against host Zimbabwe in the three-match series at Harare Sports Club.
In the last game of the ODI series on Tuesday, the Tigers beat Zimbabwe by five wickets chasing a target of 299 runs. In fact, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first. Batting first, the hosts scored 298/10 -- their highest in this series.
Also read: Tamim to miss home series against Australia, New Zealand
In reply, Tamim and Liton added 88 runs in the opening stand and set a solid foundation in pursue of a big total.
Liton fell for 32 but Tamim was firm at the other end of the wicket. Shakib Al Hasan joined Tamim, and together they added 59 runs on the score board. Shakib had missed a ton for four runs in the previous match, and this time, he ended up on 30 off 42.
Tamim fell for 112 when Bangladesh were batting at 204. Before falling prey to Donald Tiripano, Tamim completed his ton off 87 balls -- his fastest in the format. Right after Tamim’s dismissal, Mahmudullah Riyad suffered a golden duck, and all of a sudden, Bangladesh were facing trouble.
However, Mohammad Mithun and Shohan put on a fifth-wicket stand of 64 runs, which helped the Tigers keep the scoreboard afloat.
Also read: Chakabva, Raza, Burl propel Zimbabwe to 298 in 3rd ODI
It was Shohan’s first ODI in five years. He grabbed the opportunity in two hands as he struck 45 off 39 balls and remained unbeaten. He and Afif Hossain added 34 runs for the sixth wicket to seal the game.
Bangladesh scored 302 for five and won the game by five wickets.
Wessley Madhevere and Donald Tiripano took two wickets each for Zimbabwe.
Earlier, Regis Chakabva, who opened the innings for the hosts, scored 84 off 91 balls with seven fours and one six. It was his second fifty in the series.
For the sixth wicket, Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl added 112 runs, the highest runs in a single partnership in Zimbabwe’s innings. The stand was broken by Mustafizur, who was playing his first ODI in this series, removing Raza for 57 off 54 balls.
But Burl was there in the middle. Before falling prey to Saifuddin, Burl posted 59 off 43 with four fours and as many as sixes.
Saifuddin bagged three wickets in the 48th over removing Burl, Donald Tiripano and Tendai Chatara. Saifuddin conceded 87 runs in eight overs to take three wickets. Mustafizur also bagged three wickets conceding 57 runs. They eventually put together 298 in 49.3 overs.
The series is a part of the World Cup Super League. The top seven teams of this event along with the shots, India, will qualify directly for World Cup 2023.
After the three-match ODI series, both teams will lock horns in a three-match T20 series. All the matches will take place at the same venue. Before the limited-over series, Bangladesh took on the hosts in a one-off Test and won that match by 220 runs.
Shakib shines in Tigers series win against Zimbabwe
Shakib Al Hasan smashed an unbeaten 96 to guide the Tigers to win the second ODI by three wickets against Zimbabwe and sweep the series on Sunday at the Harare Sports Club.
The third and final ODI of the match will take place on July 20 at the same venue.
Bangladesh bowled first in this game after losing the toss. The hosts posted a moderate total of 240 runs with the fifty by Wesley Madhevere. Bangladeshi bowlers have done a decent job to resist the hosts from posting a big total on the board.
Zimbabwe got their only fifty-plus partnership in the sixth wicket stand shared by Sikandar Raza and Madhevere. They added 63 off 70 deliveries.
Shoriful Islam, the left-arm seamer, broke the stand removing Madhevere for 56 off 63 balls. Shofirul ended up taking four wickets conceding 46 runs in 10 overs— his career-best so far.
In reply, Bangladesh made a steady start as Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das added 39 runs in the opening stand. Tamim, who has been suffering from a leg injury, fell to Luke Jongwe as the first wicket for 20 off 34 balls.
Within seven runs of Tamim’s dismissal, Liton, who hit a hundred in the first match, fell for 21. He was removed by Richard Ngarava.
Also read: Shakib bags five as Bangladesh register emphatic win vs Zimbabwe
Mohammad Mithun and Mosaddek Hossain failed once again to overcome their batting woes as they were dismissed for two and five respectively. Bangladesh lost five wickets in 130 runs.
Shakib, who came to bat at number three, stood solid at one end of the wicket. He and Mahmudullah Riyad added 55 in the fifth wicket stand to keep Bangladesh’s hope alive. Blessing Muzarabani broke this stand taking Mahmudullah for 26, and right after that, Mehidy Hasan Miraz ws out only at six. He tried to play a big shot off Madhevere and ended up giving a catch to Dion Myers.
Afif Hossain accompanied Shakib in a 28-rum stand but failed to finish the job. Mohammad Saifuddin came to bat at eight and finish the game, adding 69 on the board in the eighth wicket stand with Shakib.
Bangladesh ended up on 242 for seven in 49.1 overs and won the game by three wickets. While Shakib remained unbeaten on 96, Saifuddin also remained unbeaten on 28.
“Today was the day I had to put my hands up. I’m happy that I’ve done it,” Shakib said to the broadcaster after the match. “It wasn't easy to bat today, and credit goes to Saifuddin for the way he played. He showed a lot of composure.”
Bangladesh captain Tamim also applauded Shakib and Saifuddin for their batting and finishing the job. He said to the broadcaster: “There were many soft dismissals today, but the way Shakib and Saifuddin played was nice to see. The wicket was playing quite nicely in the first innings compared to the previous match, and I am to chase 241.”
This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. The top seven teams of this event along with the shots, India, will qualify directly to the World Cup 2023.
After the three-match ODI series, both teams will lock horns in three-match T20 series. All of those matches will take place at the same venue. Before the limited-over series, Bangladesh took on the hosts in a one-off Test and won that match by 220 runs.
PM greets cricketers for winning 1st match against Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday congratulated the national cricket team on winning the first match in the three-match ODI home series against Sri Lanka by 33 runs.
Also read: Tigers beat Lions despite Hasaranga scare
In a message, the Prime Minister greeted all the players, the coach and the officials of the national cricket team as well as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials concerned for beating Sri Lanka in the match.
Playing to strengths helps Mushfiqur shine against Lankans
Mushfiqur Rahim smashed an 87-ball 84 to help the Tigers post a challenging total in the first ODI of the three-match series against Sri Lanka Sunday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Riding on his bat, Bangladesh posted 257 for six after winning the toss and won the match by 33 runs.
"I stuck to my strengths and took my time. I had to keep one end safe and that's what I did. The finishing touch from Riyad and Afif was superb," Mushfiqur said after the game.
"It wasn't an easy wicket to bat on. As Shakib and Liton got out early, there was pressure. Tamim batted well and he allowed me to take my time. And then Riyad was superb. These conditions aren't ideal to play; it's not just hot, the humidity takes a lot out of you but the credit goes to our players," he added.
Mushfiqur scored 84, Tamim 52 and Mahmuduallah 54, helping the Tigers overcome the initial batting damage. And Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged four wickets and Mustafizur Rahman took three to confine the Lankans within 224 runs and seal the game.
This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. The top seven teams of this event will directly qualify for the World Cup 2023.
Bangladesh have already played six matches of this event and won three. Sri Lanka played three matches of the World Cup Super League and lost all.
The remaining games of the ODI series will be played on May 25 and 28 at the same venue.
Tigers beat Lions despite Hasaranga scare
Bangladesh won the first match of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka by 33 runs, defying a strong resistance from Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga Sunday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The Tigers won the toss and posted 257 runs for six after choosing to bat first. In reply, Sri Lanka started well as Danushka Gunathilaka and captain Kusal Perera added 30 runs in the first wicket stand. Just when they started building a solid foundation, Mehidy Hasan Miraz struck.
Mehidy, the number five bowler in the ICC ODI ranking, took four wickets conceding 30 runs in 10 overs.
Sri Lanka showed some resistance in the sixth and seventh-wicket stands, posting 47 and 62 runs.
However, Hasaranga posed the strongest challenge to the Tigers, scoring 74 off 60 balls with six sixes and three fours. The right-handed batsman was guiding the Lankans to a victory which seemed unlikely before he took the field.
Hasaranga finally fell prey to Mohammad Saifuddin when Sri Lanka needed 47 runs to win in six overs. The Lankans eventually managed to score 224 for 10 in 48.1 overs.
Saifuddin took two wickets while Shakib Al Hasan bagged one and it was his 1000th wicket in the recognised cricket.
Earlier, despite losing four wickets for 99 runs, Bangladesh posted 257 runs for six wickets in 50 overs in the first innings after choosing to bat first.
Mushfiqur Rahim was the highest run-getter in this game who scored 84 off 87 balls with four fours and one six. Tamim Iqbal hit 52 while Mahmudullah Riyad posted 54 to help the Tigers post a challenging total.
In the fifth wicket stand, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah added 109 runs off 122 balls – the highest partnership in Bangladesh's innings.
After 40 overs, Bangladesh were batting at 193 for four. They needed to come up with some big shots in the last 10 overs, but the dismissals of Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah made it difficult for the hosts.
In the sixth and seventh-wicket stands, Bangladesh added 22 and 27. In the end, Afif Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin remained unbeaten for 27 and 13 off 22 and 9 balls. Both Liton Das and Mohammad Mithun got dismissed for a duck in this game.
For Sri Lanka, Dhananjaya de Silva was outstanding with the ball. He bagged three wickets with two-in-two conceding 47 runs. Dushmantha Chameera, Danushka Gunathilaka and Lakshan Sandakan took a wicket each.
This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. Bangladesh have already played six matches of this event and won three. The top seven teams of this event will directly qualify for the World Cup 2023.
Sri Lanka played three matches of the World Cup Super League and lost all.
The remaining matches of the series will take place on May 25 and 28 at the same venue.
Sri Lankan player Shiran Fernando tests positive for Covid-19 in latest test
In a latest Covid-19 Test, Sri Lankan cricketer Shiran Fernando tested positive for Covid-19 while Isuru Udana and Chaminda Vaas, who tested positive earlier, returned negative.
Jalal Younus, the chair of the media and communication committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), confirmed that the series will go on as per the schedule.
Read:Bangladesh and Sri Lanka all set to face off in an ODI Series
Along with these three, Bangladesh’s media manager Rabeed Imam also tested positive in the second latest test but returned negative in the latest test.
“The series is on and everything will go as per the schedule,” Jalal told the media. “There is no doubt about the series. Who returned positive will remain in isolation now.”
The first ODI of the series is set to begin at 1pm today while the others are scheduled to take place on May 25 and 28 respectively.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka all set to face off in an ODI Series
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will take on each other in a three-match ODI series starting from Sunday. Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman will return to international cricket with this series. As a result, Tamim Iqbal will lead Bangladesh to a full-strength Bangladesh team. Tamim and Shakib are on the verge of reaching personal milestones, that's why the series is significant for the two best cricketers of the tigers'. Bangladesh will be slightly ahead in terms of strength, but the Lankans are not far behind. Both teams are ready for the battle and all set to face off in an ODI series from May 23.
Tamim and Shakib can achieve unique milestones in the series
Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan have a lot of personal records. In reality, these two hold the majority of Bangladesh's records. Tamim and Shakib have the chance to shatter two more records in the series against Sri Lanka. Tamim would become the first Bangladeshi cricketer to reach the 14,000-run mark at the international level if he gets 59 runs in the series. Pushing Mashrafe Mortaza behind, Shakib will be Bangladesh's top wicket-taker in the ODI format if he takes three wickets in the series. Furthermore, Shakib would become the third Bangladeshi to reach 12,000 runs in international cricket if he gets 67 runs. Tamim and Shakib will be able to break all of these records in the opening match if they play at their best. Moreover, Bangladesh will have a better chance of winning the series if these two are on fire.
Read: Babar, Boult, and Shakib Lead ICC ODI Player Rankings in May 2021
Strengths and weaknesses of Bangladesh team
In comparison to the two teams, Bangladeshi cricketers have more experience than Sri Lankan cricketers, thus the experience is the biggest strength of the current Bangladesh team. The team includes senior cricketers like Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim. Some cricketers in the Bangladesh squad have been with the national squad for six or seven years. The squad also includes a group of young cricketers.
Overall, Bangladesh has assembled a strong team in a combination with young and senior players. Bangladesh will be the favorite in this series against Sri Lanka since it will be played at home. Because, based on Bangladesh's recent performance, we can tell that they perform well at home, and defeating them in their own backyard is a difficult task.
On the other side, Bangladesh's fielding is now its weakest point. Bangladesh's fielding has been substandard in every series since last January despite spending a lot of money on a fielding coach. So, everyone is expecting better performance in fielding from the Bangladeshi players in this series.
Probable Playing XI for first ODI
Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam
Strengths and weaknesses of the Sri Lanka team
There are a few promising cricketers on the Sri Lankan team, those who have the potential to be a real match-winner on any given day. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has named a new captain and co-captain for the series.
The Sri Lankan cricketers are expected to thrive in the series with the new leadership. The desire to do well maybe a useful tool for this youth-oriented squad. Sri Lanka have a chance to surprise the host Bangladesh if they follow the appropriate strategy during the contest.
Sri Lanka's lack of experience may prove to be a disadvantage in this series. Because success in ODI cricket requires a thorough understanding of the formula for success in this format, which the present Sri Lankan team lacks.
Probable Playing XI
Kusal Perera (capt, wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Ashen Bandara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Lakshan Sandakan, Chamika Karunaratne
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Five Memorable Match-Winning ODI Performances
Toss Prediction and Weather Forecast
The best option would be to win the toss and bat first at Mirpur's wicket. According to the weather forecast, the first two matches are expected to be sunny, but the third match may be rained out.
Verdict
Every match of this contest is crucial for ICC’s ODI World Cup super league. Therefore, Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are all set to face off in an ODI series in order to improve their position in the points table. Bangladesh will take advantage of the fact that they will be playing at home. As a result, Bangladesh are hoping to win the series for the first time against Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Sri Lanka would aim to win at least one match even if they fail to win the series. Overall, it will undoubtedly be a tough battle.
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Tigers to take on Sri Lanka with an eye on WC 2023
The Tigers would play the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka – set to begin Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium – with an eye on the World Cup 2023, Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said Saturday.
Bangladesh have played six matches of the World Cup Super League and won three. They will have to end this event as one of the best seven teams to be directly qualified for the World Cup in India.
"Winning right now is always important but you have also got to have one eye on the future. Sometimes you need to be a little bit aware of that, and not always focus on the immediate future or past," Domingo said at a virtual press conference.
"This is an important series and points are up for grabs. However, the development of the team going forward is equally important. Who knows, in two years, you might not have Shakib, Tamim, Riyad or Mushfiqur available. And you have got to make sure that you develop some other players who can step into those roles," the South African coach said.
Batsmen shine in practice game ahead of Sri Lanka ODIs
In the lone practice game ahead of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka at home, Bangladeshi batsmen did well.
Tamim Iqbal led them hitting an explosive 80 while Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim also have a fifty each.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, who came out of a 12-day quarantine, failed to impress.
Tamim was the captain of the BCB Green while Mahmudullah led the BCB Red. Green won the game by five wickets.
Tamim won the toss at BKSP on Thursday morning and sent the Red team to bat first who posted 284 for three in 45 overs. In reply, Tamim’s 80 off 58 balls with four sixes and seven fours guided the Green team to seal the game in 41 overs as they ended on 288 for five.
For the Red team, Afif hit 64 not-out and Mahmudullah came up with 62 not-out and Soumya also hit 60 not out. All of them were retired-not out. For the Green team, left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam bagged one wicket.
For the Green team, Tamim hit 80 while Mushfiqur scored 64 not-out. Imrul Kayes, 33, Mosaddek Hossain, 38, also did well with the bat. For the Red team, Mahmudullah took two wickets conceding 29 runs while Shakib and Taijul Islam took one wicket each.
The Tigers are all set to take on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series starting from May 23. All the matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh-Sri Lanka ODI series: Tigers to play intrasquad game Thursday
Bangladesh national cricket team will play an intrasquad game Friday in Savar's BKSP – the only practice game to be played by the hosts ahead of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka which starts on May 23 in Dhaka.
The visitors will also play a practice game at the same venue on Friday.
Bangladesh started preparing for this series on May 18. However, most parts of the first-day practice session got interrupted by the rain. However, the Tigers had a full-day practice Wednesday at the outdoor and indoor of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
In the intra-squad match, Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal will lead the BCB Red against T20 captain Mahmududllah Riayd's BCB Green. The match will start at 9:45am Thursday.
Tamim's team includes Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman. Mahmudullah's team contains the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar and Taskin Ahmed.
Shakib and Mustafizur are set to return to the national side with the three-match ODI series. They last played for the Tigers in New Zealand earlier this year. After that, the players missed out on the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka as they took part in the Indian Premier League.
While the first match of the ODI series will take place on May 23, the remaining matches will be played on May 25 and 28. All the matches will be hosted at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.