Khairul Alam From Sher-E-bangla Stadium Dhaka – Standing on the edge of a series defeat, Bangladesh produced a dominant all-round performance to beat New Zealand by 6 wickets in the second ODI.
After Nahid Rana’s fiery five-wicket haul restricted the visitors to a modest total, the batters chased it down with 87 balls to spare. With the series now tied at 1-1, the third match in Chattogram this Thursday will serve as the series decider.
Nahid Rana’s Pace Shreds Kiwi Lineup
Earlier, after winning the toss and electing to bat first at Mirpur, New Zealand struggled against Bangladesh’s disciplined pace attack. Young speedster Nahid Rana was the star of the show, picking up his second career five-wicket haul. He removed Henry Nicholls (13) and Will Young (7) in his very first over of the spell.
While Nick Kelly fought a lone battle with a solid 83, Rana kept striking at intervals. He finished with clinical figures of 5 for 32. Support came from Shoriful Islam, who took two wickets, while Taskin Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar, and Rishad Hossain claimed one each. New Zealand was eventually bundled out for 198 in 48.4 overs.
Tanzid’s Aggression and Shanto’s Return to Form
Chasing 199, Bangladesh had a shaky start, losing Saif Hassan (8) and Soumya Sarkar (8) early, leaving the team at 21/2. However, Tanzid Hasan Tamim and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto steadied the ship with a massive 120-run partnership.
Tanzid was the aggressor, smashing a quick-fire 76 off 71 balls, including a flurry of boundaries and a massive six to reach his fifty. Shanto, ending a 13-inning drought for a half-century, played a composed knock of 51 before leaving the field retired hurt due to cramps.
The Finishing Touches
Despite a minor hiccup where Litton Das fell for 7 in his 100th ODI, Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz remained calm. Hridoy played a brisk unbeaten 30 off 31 balls, while Miraz stayed not out on 8 to guide the Tigers home in the 36th over
Match Summary
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New Zealand: 198 All Out (48.4 overs) | Nick Kelly 83; Nahid Rana 5/32.
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Bangladesh: 202/4 (35.3 overs) | Tanzid Tamim 76, Najmul Shanto 51 (retired hurt), Towhid Hridoy 30*.
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Result: Bangladesh won by 6 wickets.