Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed his excitement and pride after his team's historic five-wicket win over New Zealand in the opening game of their three-match Twenty20 series. This victory marked Bangladesh's first-ever Twenty20 win on New Zealand soil, coming just four days after their maiden away one-day international win over the Black Caps in Napier. Shanto credited his bowlers for their exceptional performances, restricting New Zealand to 134 for nine in their 20 overs.
Bangladesh's Resilient Batting Performance
Despite losing early wickets, Bangladesh's batsmen showed resilience and determination. Veteran Litton Das, along with Soumya Sarkar and Towhid Hridoy, guided the team to a strong position at 96-4 after 13 overs. However, they faced a slight setback as they lost wickets in quick succession, leaving them at 97-5. Das, who battled cramps, survived two close calls, including an LBW decision that was overturned on review. He finished unbeaten on 42, and it was all-rounder Mahedi Hasan who hit the winning runs in a partnership of 40 with Das.
New Zealand's struggles
In the absence of regular captain Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner led New Zealand to a disastrous start, losing three wickets early on. They fought back with the ball but couldn't recover from a poor powerplay performance with the bat. Santner acknowledged Bangladesh's strong bowling effort and credited them for their victory. The Black Caps will look to bounce back in the remaining two Twenty20 internationals to level the series.
Bangladesh's Impressive Bowling Display
Bangladesh's bowlers continued their excellent form from the previous one-day international series. They dismissed New Zealand for just 98 runs in the third ODI, and in the T20 opener, they picked up where they left off. Mahedi Hasan struck in the opening over, bowling Tim Seifert. Shoriful Islam was the standout bowler, taking three wickets for 26 runs, including consecutive dismissals of Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips. The rest of the bowling unit also contributed, ensuring New Zealand struggled to build a substantial total.
The second and third Twenty20 Internationals will be played at Mount Maunganui on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Bangladesh, ranked ninth in Twenty20 international cricket, has shown that it can compete with higher-ranked teams.
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