Bangladesh endured a catastrophic batting collapse in the 4th T20I against Zimbabwe at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday, losing all ten wickets for a mere 42 runs after a promising start.
Being sent to bat first after losing the toss, Bangladesh appeared to be cruising towards a big total, with openers Soumya Sarkar (41) and Tanzid Hasan Tamim (52) forging a 101-run partnership for the first wicket. However, Tanzid`s dismissal, caught after mistiming a shot, triggered an inexplicable collapse.
The middle and lower order crumbled under pressure, succumbing to a series of poor shot selections and dismissals.
After the openers, only Towhid Hridoy managed a double-digit score (12) as the remaining batters fell cheaply, with Luke Jongwe claiming three wickets for Zimbabwe.
The collapse exposed the fragility of Bangladesh`s batting lineup. Shakib Al Hasan, returning to T20Is after nine months, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto both departed without showing any intention to fight back.
Shanto`s dismissal, clean bowled attempting an extravagant shot, and Shakib`s bowled through a gap between bat and pad, proved the lack of application and composure from the experienced players.
Despite the initial promise of a high score, Bangladesh`s innings ended at a disappointing 143, leaving them with a challenging task to defend against Zimbabwe.
