3rd ODI: All-round Bangladesh thrash Zimbabwe to avoid series sweep
What's the story
Bangladesh put up a comprehensive show in the third and final ODI against Zimbabwe to avoid a 3-0 clean sweep after losing the first two games. The visiting team's pacers were on fire in Harare as the home team was bundled out for 199 batting first. A 151-run opening stand between Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Soumya Sarkar then took the Tigers to an seven-wicket triumph. Here are the key stats.
Zimbabwe innings
Zimbabwe dented by Bangladesh pacers
Zimbabwe were off to a terrible start, having been reduced to 27/3. Wessly Madhevere then steadied the ship with a 51-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Innocent Kaia (25). Another collapse, however, reduced the hosts further down to 108/6. Madhevere, who batted with intent after getting set, then found a potent partner in Brad Evans. The duo added 43 runs in quick time before Madhevere departed for 75. Evans's fifty then took the total near 200.
Chase
Bangladesh get over the line with ease
While most of the Zimbabwe batters had a troublesome time in Harare, the visitors hardly broke a sweat. The Bangladesh openers took charge of the chase from the word go, reaching their team's fifty in nine overs and completing a century partnership off 113 balls. Despite losing Sarkar for 69, Tanzid continued to bat well and looked set to touch the three-figure mark. However, he fell to Ernest Masuku while going for a big shot when only three runs were needed.
Madhevere
Career-best score for Madhevere
Madhevere's 75 off 74 balls saw him hit five fours and a maximum. As per ESPNcricinfo, this was the all-rounder's seventh ODI fifty and also his career-best score. Across 43 games, the dasher has raced to 872 runs at an average of 21.80. Three of his fifties have come across 12 ODIs against Bangladesh. The tally includes 309 runs at 25.75.
Evans
Back-to-back fifties for Evans
Evans scored five fours and two sixes during his stay, scoring a 43-ball 50. This was his second successive fifty, having made 58* in the second game - his maiden ODI half-century. Evans now has 240 runs across 20 ODIs at 17.14. He also owns 20 wickets with the ball in hand (ER: 5.65).
Shoriful
Fourth ODI four-fer for Shoriful
Shoriful Islam finished his 10-over spell with figures worth 4/44, having bowled a maiden as well. This was his fourth ODI four-wicket haul, as he also owns a fifer in the format. The pacer has now raced to 73 ODI wickets from 46 matches at 26.39. Two of his four-fers have come in six games against Zimbabwe. This includes 10 wickets at 30.20.
Information
Other Bangladesh bowlers to shine
While Shoriful was the star performer for Bangladesh, his fellow fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed (2/32) and Tanvir Islam (2/37) also struck twice in their respective 10 overs. Taskin, in fact, bowled four maidens.
Tamim
1,000 ODI runs for Tamim
Tamim smashed eight fours and three sixes en route to his 94 off 101 balls. He went past 1,000 runs during this knock. The batter, who missed out on his second ODI hundred, has now raced to 1,044 runs from 40 games at an average of 27.47 (50s: 9). He finished the Zimbabwe series with 159 runs at 53 (50s: 2).
Sarkar
2,500 ODI runs loading for Sarkar
Sarkar also batted well for his 69 off 82 balls, a knock laced with eight boundaries and two maximums. While this was his 15th ODI fifty, the tally also includes three tons. Across 86 games in the format, he has raced to 2,488 runs at 32.31. 217 of his runs have come across five games against Zimbabwe at 43.40 (100: 1, 50: 1).
Stand
Historic stand between Sarkar and Tamim
Having added 151 runs, Sarkar and Tamim recorded the highest stand by a Bangladesh opening pair away from home (ODIs). Overall, they became the seventh pair with a 150-plus opening stand for Bangladesh. Sarkar has been involved in three of these stands. This was also Bangladesh's second-highest opening stand in run chases, only behind Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal's 154-run stand in the 2015 Chattogram ODI against South Africa.