Bangladesh got their Twenty20 World Cup back on track Sunday with a thrilling last-ball win over Zimbabwe, aided by opener Najmul Shanto’s maiden half-century and Taskin Ahmed’s three wickets.
Shanto (71) helped steer Bangladesh to 150-7 at Brisbane’s Gabba ground in a match that went to the wire with Zimbabwe needing 16 off an incredible last over.
It saw two wickets fall, a big six and the teams walking off thinking the match was over, only to be recalled.
Bangladesh believed they had won when Blessing Muzarabani, needing five to win, was stumped trying to hit a six off the last ball with the fielding team celebrating as the players shook hands and left the field.
But a review showed wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan’s gloves taking the ball in front of the stumps, which is illegal, and it was called a no-ball.
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The teams had to return to the field for a free hit with four needed to win, but Muzarabani swung and missed again leaving Zimbabwe short on 147-8.
Victory pushed Bangladesh to four points in Group 2 with two games remaining level with India who face South Africa, who have three points, in Perth later Sunday.
Pakistan meet the Netherlands in a must-win game, also in Perth, with neither side yet to score a point.
Defeat left Zimbabwe, who stunned Pakistan by one run on Thursday, still in the hunt for a semi-final place with three points.
The top two in each group advance to the last four.
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and chose to bat on a glorious day only to see opener Soumya Sarkar out in the second over without scoring, caught behind off pace bowler Muzarabani.
Shanto smacked two early boundaries as he put on 22 with Liton Das before Das ballooned a catch to Tendai Chatara off a slower Muzarabani delivery.
Despite some scratchy fielding, Zimbabwe bowled economically to keep the score down to 63-2 at the halfway stage.
But once past that mark, Bangladesh became more aggressive and rotated the strike well with Shanto reaching his first T20 50 off 45 balls — Bangladesh’s first half-century of the tournament.
Al Hasan, who has played in every T20 World Cup since its inception in 2007, survived a run-out chance on 23 at the other end but fell five balls later, caught brilliantly by Muzarabani from spinner Sean Williams, snapping a 54-run partnership.
Shanto kept going alongside Hossain then holed out to Craig Ervine before Bangladesh took 47 from the last five overs.
Zimbabwe were on the back foot immediately in reply, with Wessly Madhevere out on just the third ball, top-edging Ahmed to Mustafizur Rahman in the deep.
It got worse when skipper Craig Ervine followed him back to the pavilion two overs later, edging to wicketkeeper Hasan with Ahmed taking his second.
Mustafizur Rahman was brought into the attack and took Milton Shumba on his second ball then danger man Sikandar Raza was out in the same over to leave Zimbabawe on 35-4.
Sean Williams (64) and Regis Chakabva pushed them to 64-4 after 10 overs, but a bowling change broke the partnership with Ahmed returning to remove Chakabva (15).
They needed 56 from the last five overs and when Williams was run out with eight balls left their hopes appeared to end before the dramatic last over.
Boult and Phillips guide NZ to victory | 01:09
NETHERLANDS WIN TOSS AHEAD OF MUST-WIN CLASH
Meanwhile, Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan as both teams looked to stay alive at the Twenty20 World Cup in Perth on Sunday.
The Dutch are searching for their first points after they went down to Bangladesh and then table-toppers India in a wide open Group 2.
Stephan Myburgh, Brandon Glover and Roelof van der Merwe return to the team. Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, are also without a point after two defeats and made one change from the side that were shocked by Zimbabwe at the same venue with Fakhar Zaman coming in for Haider Ali.
The Asian giants need to win their last three matches and hope other results go their way if they are reach the semi-finals, as they did a year ago in the United Arab Emirates.
TEAMS
Netherlands: Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards (capt), Roelof van der Merwe, Tim Pringle, Fred Klaassen, Brandon Glover, Paul van Meekeren
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (capt), Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
Umpires: Paul Reiffel (AUS), Richard Illingworth (ENG)
TV Umpire: Langton Rusere (RSA)
Match Referee: David Boon (AUS)
ICC slammed for poor wet weather plan | 01:51
RAHUL WON’T BE REPLACED AS INDIA PREPARES FOR SOUTH AFRICA
India’s batting coach said on Saturday that his side is not fazed by fast bowling as it prepared to face South Africa on a bouncy Perth pitch at the Twenty20 World Cup.
One of the favourites to win the tournament, India have had a perfect start to the Super 12 stage with two wins, including one over arch-rivals Pakistan.
A win against the Proteas on Sunday would all but ensure a semi-finals spot. But a South African attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Wayne Parnell and Anrich Nortje is set to test Indian batsmen on a Perth track that has provided pace and bounce aplenty in the World Cup so far.
Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour, however, expressed confidence in his side’s ability to navigate the conditions.
“The group of batters that we have in our team, I don’t think pace really bothers us that much,” he said.
Superstar Virat Kohli has led India’s batting charge Down Under, hitting an unbeaten 82 in the last-ball win over Pakistan in Melbourne.
Will we see Maxwell with the gloves? | 00:43
Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav then hammered the Netherlands bowling as a second win took them to the top of Group 2.
KL Rahul’s form has been a concern, however, after he scored four and nine in the two games.
Asked if the team management is looking to replace Rahul with Rishabh Pant, Rathour responded with a firm “No”.
“Two games, I don’t think that’s a good enough sample size,” he said. “(Rahul’s) been batting really well and he’s batted really well in the practice games also.” So far at the World Cup, India have not made explosive starts and gone instead with a more conservative approach and getting runs in the final few overs.
“I don’t think these are 200, 200-plus wickets, so we’ll need to adapt,” Rathour said.
“I think we have done pretty well in that regard so far.”
