Twitter Reactions: Bangladesh edge out valiant Zimbabwe in another nailbiter to extend winning run

In a thrilling encounter at Dhaka, Bangladesh secured a nail-biting victory against Zimbabwe in the 4th T20I, clinching the match with a 5-run win. The match was marked by outstanding performances from both teams, but it was Bangladesh’s resilience that eventually prevailed.

Being asked to bat first after losing the toss, Bangladesh posted a competitive total of 143 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Tanzid Hasan provided a solid start with a brisk 52 off 37 balls, well supported by Soumya Sarkar’s 41 runs. Even though Bangladesh collapsed in the middle, they still posted a score to fight on the board.

Zimbabwe’s chase got off to a shaky start with early wickets, courtesy of Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed. However, Johnathan Campbell’s valiant 31 kept Zimbabwe in the hunt. Mustafizur Rahman’s stellar bowling spell, claiming three crucial wickets, further dented Zimbabwe’s hopes. Shakib Al Hasan also shone with the ball, picking up four wickets to dismantle Zimbabwe’s middle order.

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Despite a late surge from Wellington Masakadza, who remained unbeaten on 19 off eight balls, Zimbabwe fell agonizingly short of the target, finishing with 138 runs in 19.4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman’s brilliance with the ball earned him the Player of the Match award, with figures of 3/19. 

I’m proud of the way the youngsters are chipping: Raza

After the match,  Sikandar Raza expressed pride in the efforts of Zimbabwe’s young players, noting their improvement and determination. However, he highlighted the need for the top-order batters, including himself, to contribute more runs. While praising the team’s bowling performance, Raza lamented the inconsistency in batting, especially the tendency to lose wickets in clusters. Despite these challenges, Raza remained optimistic about the team’s fighting spirit and sees potential for growth with their youthful squad.

“We keep getting closer and closer, I’m proud of the way the youngsters are chipping, they have put their hands up and are pushing themselves to do better. But the top-order needs to chip and I need to score more runs. I have always backed my players, from the bowling point of view, we were fantastic, but we have bowled well in the last few games, the batting has been a let-down. We’ve lost a cluster of wickets, we’ve lost a few quick wickets after a partnership. I can live with these mistakes, we’ve a young team and they’ve shown a lot of fighting abilities,” Raza said.

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Here’s how X reacted to the fourth BAN vs ZIM T20I game: