Bangladesh avoid whitewash beating Zimbabwe in 3rd ODI

Bangladesh avoided whitewash after beating Zimabwe by a massive margin of 105 runs in the dead-rubber third one-day international (ODI) against series winners Zimbabwe in Harare on Wednesday.

The win, however, couldn’t rescue the series for the visitors but regained some pride with the ODI series ending at 2-1 for Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh rode on Afif Hossain’s career-best unbeaten 85 and Anamul Haque’s fantastic 76 and later an all-round bowling performance. Bangladesh defended 256, their lowest first-innings total this series, successfully after failing to defend 290-plus totals on two occasions.

Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy Hasan Miraz opened the bowling and wickets came from both ends as the former trapped Takudzwanashe Kaitano leg-before and the latter got rid of Tadiwanashe Marumani in the first and second over of the innings respectively.

Fast bowler Ebadot Hossain, who flew to Zimbabwe just before the second ODI, was handed a debut in this match and he didn’t take much time to make an impact. He removed Wessley Madhevere and Sikandar Raza, two of Zimbabwe’s key batters, in consecutive deliveries in the sixth over and that was pretty much the end for the hosts.

There was no real partnership – except the breathtaking 68 between Richard Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi – and that hurt the hosts big time. Zimbabwe continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and never looked like getting anywhere near to the target. Taijul Islam was among the wickets as well, picking up Innocent Kaia, one of the centurions of the first ODI, and Tony Monyunga.