Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh, 2nd T20I Match Summary

Onto the series decider - It's been a tour to forget for Bangladesh across formats, but this win should give the camp a real lift heading forward. For Zimbabwe, the belief will be that one bad day at the office is no reason to hit the panic button. But they have a lot to improve on, especially after a torrid day fielding-wise. With the scoreline locked at 1-1, the decider promises to be a fitting finale to what's been a cracking series so far. Bulawayo hosts the third and final T20I on Sunday, July 19, with the first ball set for 10.30 am GMT. Do join us well before that for all the buildup. Until then, cheers!

The victorious captain of Bangladesh - Towhid Hridoy, about his team's performance, says that both their department, bowling and batting, did really well to show their level, so he is very happy with his team's performance today. In the first innings, Hridoy says that they focused on creating a strong partnership and work on it. In the second innings, he says that the bowlers did well to attack the opposition batters from the first over, which is why they were able to chip in some wickets inside the Powerplay. About concerns of Nahid Rana's injury, he states that it is looking fine and we should expect him to play the final match of the series.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - MOHAMMAD SAIFUDDIN receives the award for an all-round show in the match. He played a superb cameo of 31 off 10 balls towards the backend of the first innings. And also picked up a wicket in his spell. On his immediate thoughts, begins by giving thanks to the Almighty, saying it's been a while since he last picked up a Player of the Match award in T20 cricket. He adds the win also brings Bangladesh level in the series, and he's clearly delighted with how things have gone. When asked what turned the match Bangladesh's way, he credits the openers first, saying they set the perfect tone at the top. He also praises the bowling unit, singling out Mahedi and Rishad for how well they bowled through the innings. On preparation coming into the game, he says there were plenty of discussions around adjusting to the conditions, pointing out the contrast between the winter chill here and the heat back home. He admits the adjustment wasn't easy early in the tour, but notes the batters finally got it right today.

The captain of Zimbabwe - Sikandar Raza reflects on the defeat. He admits he read the pitch wrongly at the start. He says the ball clearly turned in the first few overs, with even the seamers extracting some bounce off a slow surface, and adds they expected the pitch to ease out for batting before it started gripping more. When asked to sum up the overall performance, he doesn't hold back. He calls himself genuinely embarrassed as captain, and says the fielding had a direct ripple effect on the batting that followed. He credits the bowlers, though, saying that barring the final over, they did an excellent job, restricting Bangladesh to around 158-159 after 19 overs despite the catches going down, which he calls a tremendous effort in itself. He adds that the poor fielding eventually bled into the batting, and that's what shaped the result. On Bangladesh's opening stand, Raza says Zimbabwe never felt the game had slipped away, fielding lapses aside. He notes it wasn't a surface where batters could simply walk in and start swinging, and details that the new batters needed time to settle, and that's exactly why Bangladesh lost wickets in clusters. It was the final over, he says, that ultimately took the game beyond them. Speaking on that costly last over, he calls it a consequence of the fielding through the innings rather than a one-off. He highlights that there were a couple of good deliveries mixed with a couple of poor ones, and points out that Zimbabwe even shelled a catch off the final ball, which he says sums up how poor the fielding was on the day. He admits that conceding close to 30 runs in that over made the chase far tougher but adds that even a target of around 165 wouldn't have changed his view, given how his side fielded. Ends by bluntly stating that that Zimbabwe simply didn't deserve to win this one.

... Time for the post-match Presentation ...

The difference maker - There's no taking away from how well Bangladesh hunted as a pack, executing their plans to near perfection. The two frontline spinners, Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain, shared seven wickets between them, with the pacers chipping in when needed. But as the old saying goes, catches win matches. Zimbabwe shelled six or seven chances across the game, while Bangladesh didn't let a single one slip through their hands. In the end, that was the difference that mattered most.

Lost the steam - Bangladesh carried every bit of that momentum into their defence, and their new-ball attack made it count in style. Zimbabwe were badly dented inside the powerplay, reduced to 21 for 3, their top three gone with the wind. It took them a staggering 14.4 overs to log their first breakthrough with the ball, and with the bat, the middle order offered precious little support. The likes of Raza and Ryan Burl offered brief resistance along the way, and Brad Evans provided one last flicker with a quick-fire surge to keep hope alive. But it was too little too late by then, and his dismissal simply pulled the curtains down on the chase.

Drops, chaos, recovery - Zimbabwe's day in the field was a mess from ball one, catches going down all over the park as Bangladesh raced to a 120-run opening stand. Saif Hassan alone survived five drops, Tanzid one, and both punished the reprieves with half-centuries. Then the game flipped on its head. Sikandar Raza finally struck by bowling Saif, and the floodgates opened. Richard Ngarava grabbed two in an over to further press on, and Brad Evans followed up with two more to have Bangladesh in tatters. In a matter of minutes, Bangladesh went from a cushy 120 without loss to a shaky 141 for 5. Just as Zimbabwe sensed a way back in, Yasir Ali's power hitting and a blistering final over from Saifuddin, four sixes included, hauled Bangladesh to 186.

Bangladesh level it up clinically - A superb all-round bowling effort from Bangladesh there. And on the whole, this looked like a side that's stepped up its game considerably, both bat and ball firing together. Even with Nahid Rana forced off the field, unable to finish his spell because of what looked like a lower back issue, the tourists still had more than enough fire left in them to get the better of the hosts. Now cast your mind back to that final over of the first innings, the one that leaked 28 runs. Zimbabwe fall short by 34 in the end, and it's hard not to see those two numbers staring right back at each other.

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! Rishad wraps things up in style and finishes with a 4-wicket haul. BANGLADESH WIN BY 34 RUNS! And they level the series 1-1, pushing it into a decider. Full and around off. Blessing dances down the track going for the big shot, but plays all over the wrong line and the ball beats him for pace and reach, cannoning into the off stump.

Tossed up, full, around off. Ngarava mistimes this one too, but it drops just short of the sweeper coming in from cover, and they scamper through for a single.

A flighted delivery, full, and around off. Ngarava tries to heave it across the line, but gets a top edge. But luckily for him, the ball sails over the fielder at backward point, and they hustle back for a couple.

Appeal for stumping! Full and outside off. Ngarava clears his front leg out of the way going for the slog, but misses completely. The keeper gathers it cleanly and whips off the bails in a flash, up goes the appeal for a stumping, and it's straight upstairs to the third umpire. The replay shows Ngarava's back foot did lift off the ground, but the keeper, Nurul Hasan, is just that fraction too slow to whip the bails off, and Richard manages to drag it back in the nick of time. NOT OUT!

Well then, into the final over. Rishad Hossain (3-0-23-3) will wrap it up.

Chance of a run out, missed! Full and outside off, this is punched away to cover. Blessing sets off for the single but gets sent back. There's a bit of a mix-up between the two in the middle, though they scramble through unscathed in the end as the fielder misses his shy at the batting end. The ball rolls to the leg side, but it is backed up.

A bit down the leg stump, on a length. Blessing Muzarabani looks to tuck it to the leg side, but the ball grazes the thigh pad and rolls back to the keeper.

Evans falls after playing a decent cameo. Blessing Muzarabani is the last batter in with the final rites being read.

OUT! CAUGHT! A stunner from Emon and Saifuddin gets the reward for his disciplined bowling. Full and around off, from around the stumps, with the pace taken off it. Evans goes deep in his crease and gets down low for the sweep, but the change of pace deceives him completely, and he can't generate the elevation he's looking for. Ends up miscuing to deep mid-wicket, where Emon sprints across to his left, throws himself airborne, and clings on tight even as he tumbles to the ground. Zimbabwe are 149/9, needing 38 runs from 10 balls.

Short and slow, outside off. Richard Ngarava drags it across off the back foot and pulls it to widish long on for just one run. Bangladesh won't mind that at all. This is excellent death bowling from Saifuddin.

Clever bowling! Slower one, around off and full. Richard Ngarava clears the front leg to dump that ball to Harare. Tries to smoke it over deep mid-wicket, but is undone by the lack of pace and is beaten all ends up.

Wide yorker, outside off. Richard Ngarava carves it back to the bowler.

WIDE! Pushes it far outside the tramline, on off. Richard Ngarava reaches out but cannot connect.

Zimbabwe need 40 runs from 12 balls. Mohammad Saifuddin (3-0-35-0) will bowl the penultimate.

Big swing and a miss! Evans curses himself for not putting bat on the ball. Back of a length, a slower one by the looks of it, wide outside off. Brad Evans has a massive swing at it, only to miss out.

FOUR! This is turning out to be a big over. An attempted yorker on the stumps. Evans smartly moves outside off and plays the scoop shot, well over the short fine leg fielder for a boundary. 15 runs off the over with a ball to go.

SIX! WALLOP! Evans is playing a fantastic hand here. Half-volley, on off. Brad Evans gets to free his arms. He clears the front leg and golfs it powerfully over long off for a big six. 44 needed from 14 now.

Beaten! A deceptive slower one, on a length, outside off. Brad leans back to cut it square on the off side, but misses to get any connection.

FOUR! Put away in disdain! A little bit wide from around the stumps, very full outside off. Brad Evans stays deep in the crease, gets the bat under the ball and carves it over cover, finding the gap in the deep for a boundary. 50 needed off 16 balls.

Back of a length and around off, Richard drags it down to long on for a single.

Right, 3 overs left. Zimbabwe need 55 runs from those. Nahid Rana is still off the field, one assumes. Taskin Ahmed will bowl out. 3-0-31-0 so far.