Mashrafee ends on a high
Image : Getty
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh gave a fitting farewell to their inspirational leader Mashrafee bin Mortaza as they earned a 123- run win over Zimbabwe during his last game in-charge at the Sylhet International Stadium in the rain-hit third one-day international of three-match series in Sylhet on Friday.
Zimbabwe were bundled out for 218 runs in 37.3 overs after Liton Das and Tamim Iqbal each scored a hundred as Bangladesh posted 322-2 against Zimbabwe that helped Mashrafee reached an individual milestone as it was his 50th ODI win under his leadership.
Pace bowler Mohammad Saifuddin picked four wickets to be the wrecker in chief as none of the Zimbabwean batsman could show the intent that was required to put up a challenge for the host, with Sikandar Raza making highest 61 runs.
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal picked Mashrafee on his shoulder and walked for a while after all his shook hands with to say a final goodbye.
The passion was palpable as the fans came in abundance at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium to witness the last match of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza as captain.
With the match, the era of Mashrafe has come to an end. Even though he vows to play as a general player, there is no guarantee if his current form and the growing age prompts that the team management much to include him in the team.
But as Mashrafe said, it would be his last match as captain, the cricket- frenzied people came here to give their captain a standing ovation for one last time.
From what it was seen, the stands of the stadium were jam-packed for the third and final ODI of the series, which Bangladesh has already clinched by winning the first two matches.
The first two matches, however, couldn’t draw enough people’s attention as the stadium were seen half-empty, vastly because that everyone knows Zimbabwe would be easy prey for Bangladesh.
Liton hit- 176 off 143 balls, the highest ever ODI innings for Bangladesh, while Tamim played an unbeaten knock of 128 off balls as the duo put 292-run in a record opening stand .
Liton, who struck 16 fours and eight sixes in this third ODI century and second in the series, grabbed the record from his opening partner Tamim, who struck 158 runs only in the previous match of the series.
Rain halted the game after 32.2 overs of Bangladesh’s innings and the match was reduced to 43-over-a-side when play resumed, prompting the openers to go on berserk.
Liton and Tamim were batting on 182 runs during the interruption and added 110 runs in 8.3 overs before being separated
Liton, who completed the century before the interruption, had the luck with him as he was reprieved on a no-ball on 107 runs and was also dropped on 122 and 144 respectively by Sikandar Raza and Wesley Madhevere.
He was finally caught by Raza at long on off Carl Mumba which ended the record partnership, the third best opening stand in ODI history, best for Bangladesh in any wicket surpassing Sakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah’s 224 runs during the 2017 Champions Trophy against New Zealand in Cardiff.
Mumba later took the wicket of Mahmudullah (three) and debutant Afif Hossain (seven) to finish with 3-69 as Tamim, who smashed seven fours and six sixes, stayed unbeaten with his 13th ODI century, his second in as many matches.
Liton and Tamim set the platform for Bangladesh, who have already clinched the series after winning the first two matches, to complete a clean sweep victory in the series and give a perfect farewell to captain Mashrafee bin Murtaza.
Mashrafee stepped down as Bangladesh ODI captain on Friday and was playing his last match in the role.
