234/10 (48.1)
CR : 4.86
247/6 (50.0)
CR : 4.94
Zimbabwe won by 13 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Ben Curran
111(135)*
ZIM won by 13 runs
9:24 PM IST, 5:54 PM LOCAL TIME: Victory belongs not to the louder team... but to the one that refuses to whisper defeat. Who held their nerve when everything seemed to be slipping away? Zimbabwe. Absolutely Zimbabwe. After posting a competitive 247/6, powered by a magnificent unbeaten 111 from Ben Curran and a blazing 58 from Brad Evans, the hosts watched Bangladesh fight back through Tanzid Hasan (57) and Towhid Hridoy (60). At 207/5 and later needing just 57 from the last 10 overs, Bangladesh looked favourites. But cricket has a wicked sense of humour, doesn't it? Zimbabwe ripped through the lower order, bundled Bangladesh out for 234 in 48.1 overs, clinched a thrilling 13-run victory, and sealed the three-match ODI series 2-0 with a game to spare.
Let's rewind a bit....
How did the first Powerplay belong to Bangladesh? Through pace. Pure pace. Taskin Ahmed struck in the very first over, clean bowling Brian Bennett for a duck, before returning to remove Innocent Kaia (4) and reduce Zimbabwe to 8/2. Nahid Rana then joined the party, beating Craig Ervine (9) for pace to leave the hosts wobbling at 32/3, and by the end of the mandatory Powerplay, Zimbabwe had crawled to only 37/3 after 10 overs. Could things have gone any worse for the home side? Perhaps. But Ben Curran had other ideas. Calm head. Soft hands. Strong resolve. Sometimes survival is the first step towards domination.
So who rebuilt the innings? Ben Curran. Again and again. First came a stubborn 34-run stand with Wessly Madhevere (15), taking Zimbabwe to 50 in 13.2 overs, before the drinks break arrived with the score at 61/3 in 14 overs. Curran quietly completed his fifty off 59 balls, while Madhevere absorbed pressure beautifully before falling to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who finished with an economical 2/32. The rescue mission did not stop there. Alongside Sikandar Raza (33), Curran added a vital 68-run fifth-wicket partnership, taking Zimbabwe past 100 in 25.1 overs and 131/4 at the second drinks break. Bangladesh searched desperately for breakthroughs. Curran simply kept batting.
Did Zimbabwe save their best for last? Oh yes. After Raza departed at 134/5 and Clive Madande followed at 148/6, Bangladesh sensed a finish. Instead, they walked into a storm. Ben Curran marched to a superb century off 122 deliveries, his second ODI hundred, while Brad Evans unleashed controlled aggression from the other end. They both did an unbeaten 99-run seventh-wicket partnership. Evans blasted his half-century off 36 balls, smashing five sixes, while Zimbabwe plundered 85 runs in the final Powerplay, including 22 runs off the last over, to finish on 247/6. Was it 15 or 20 runs above par? Considering where they stood at 148/6, it certainly felt that way.
Now... The Chase!!!
How did Bangladesh begin the chase? Carefully... before Zimbabwe struck back. Blessing Muzarabani removed Soumya Sarkar (5), while Brad Evans produced a sharp edge from Najmul Hossain Shanto (9) to leave Bangladesh at 38/2 after 10 overs, mirroring Zimbabwe's difficult start almost perfectly. Tanzid Hasan, however, looked composed from the beginning, while Towhid Hridoy settled in to rebuild. Bangladesh reached 50 in 12.2 overs, and by the drinks interval at 15 overs, they had recovered to 64/2, needing 184 more. Zimbabwe had won the Powerplay. Bangladesh had survived it.
Who grabbed control in the middle overs? Bangladesh... slowly but surely. Tanzid brought up his fifty off 59 balls, the pair added a crucial 50-run third-wicket stand in 63 balls, and Bangladesh reached 100 in 22 overs. At the second drinks break, they were comfortably placed at 129/3, although the dismissal of Tanzid for 57, bowled by part-time off-spinner Brian Bennett, gave Zimbabwe fresh hope. Towhid Hridoy continued calmly, completing his half-century off 83 balls, while Nurul Hasan joined him to keep the chase under control. At 169/4, Bangladesh still appeared comfortably ahead. The required rate remained manageable. Zimbabwe needed magic. Or maybe just one wicket.
And then... came the twist. The final Powerplay belonged entirely to Zimbabwe. Nurul Hasan's brisk 38 briefly kept Bangladesh in command, helping the visitors reach 200 in 41.3 overs, but Richard Ngarava's clever change of angle removed him at 207/6. That wicket changed everything. Blessing Muzarabani dismissed Rishad Hossain, Sikandar Raza trapped Taskin Ahmed lbw, Brad Evans cleaned up Shoriful Islam with a beauty, and despite Mehidy Hasan Miraz battling hard with 27, Ngarava returned to finish the job by having his opposite captain caught in the deep. Bangladesh lost five wickets for just 27 runs, collapsing from 207/5 to 234 all out. Zimbabwe had turned a losing position into a remarkable victory.
What decided this contest in the end? Partnerships... and pressure. Ben Curran's unbeaten 111 anchored the innings when Zimbabwe desperately needed stability. Brad Evans' fearless 58 off 38 transformed a decent total into a winning one. Bangladesh had two fifty-makers as well, but unlike Zimbabwe, they could not find one batter to finish the chase. Zimbabwe believed. Bangladesh blinked. The hosts backed their experienced pacers, squeezed every over in the death, and refused to let the game drift away. That stubbornness earned them not only the match, but the series as well.
Let's rewind a bit....
How did the first Powerplay belong to Bangladesh? Through pace. Pure pace. Taskin Ahmed struck in the very first over, clean bowling Brian Bennett for a duck, before returning to remove Innocent Kaia (4) and reduce Zimbabwe to 8/2. Nahid Rana then joined the party, beating Craig Ervine (9) for pace to leave the hosts wobbling at 32/3, and by the end of the mandatory Powerplay, Zimbabwe had crawled to only 37/3 after 10 overs. Could things have gone any worse for the home side? Perhaps. But Ben Curran had other ideas. Calm head. Soft hands. Strong resolve. Sometimes survival is the first step towards domination.
So who rebuilt the innings? Ben Curran. Again and again. First came a stubborn 34-run stand with Wessly Madhevere (15), taking Zimbabwe to 50 in 13.2 overs, before the drinks break arrived with the score at 61/3 in 14 overs. Curran quietly completed his fifty off 59 balls, while Madhevere absorbed pressure beautifully before falling to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who finished with an economical 2/32. The rescue mission did not stop there. Alongside Sikandar Raza (33), Curran added a vital 68-run fifth-wicket partnership, taking Zimbabwe past 100 in 25.1 overs and 131/4 at the second drinks break. Bangladesh searched desperately for breakthroughs. Curran simply kept batting.
Did Zimbabwe save their best for last? Oh yes. After Raza departed at 134/5 and Clive Madande followed at 148/6, Bangladesh sensed a finish. Instead, they walked into a storm. Ben Curran marched to a superb century off 122 deliveries, his second ODI hundred, while Brad Evans unleashed controlled aggression from the other end. They both did an unbeaten 99-run seventh-wicket partnership. Evans blasted his half-century off 36 balls, smashing five sixes, while Zimbabwe plundered 85 runs in the final Powerplay, including 22 runs off the last over, to finish on 247/6. Was it 15 or 20 runs above par? Considering where they stood at 148/6, it certainly felt that way.
Now... The Chase!!!
How did Bangladesh begin the chase? Carefully... before Zimbabwe struck back. Blessing Muzarabani removed Soumya Sarkar (5), while Brad Evans produced a sharp edge from Najmul Hossain Shanto (9) to leave Bangladesh at 38/2 after 10 overs, mirroring Zimbabwe's difficult start almost perfectly. Tanzid Hasan, however, looked composed from the beginning, while Towhid Hridoy settled in to rebuild. Bangladesh reached 50 in 12.2 overs, and by the drinks interval at 15 overs, they had recovered to 64/2, needing 184 more. Zimbabwe had won the Powerplay. Bangladesh had survived it.
Who grabbed control in the middle overs? Bangladesh... slowly but surely. Tanzid brought up his fifty off 59 balls, the pair added a crucial 50-run third-wicket stand in 63 balls, and Bangladesh reached 100 in 22 overs. At the second drinks break, they were comfortably placed at 129/3, although the dismissal of Tanzid for 57, bowled by part-time off-spinner Brian Bennett, gave Zimbabwe fresh hope. Towhid Hridoy continued calmly, completing his half-century off 83 balls, while Nurul Hasan joined him to keep the chase under control. At 169/4, Bangladesh still appeared comfortably ahead. The required rate remained manageable. Zimbabwe needed magic. Or maybe just one wicket.
And then... came the twist. The final Powerplay belonged entirely to Zimbabwe. Nurul Hasan's brisk 38 briefly kept Bangladesh in command, helping the visitors reach 200 in 41.3 overs, but Richard Ngarava's clever change of angle removed him at 207/6. That wicket changed everything. Blessing Muzarabani dismissed Rishad Hossain, Sikandar Raza trapped Taskin Ahmed lbw, Brad Evans cleaned up Shoriful Islam with a beauty, and despite Mehidy Hasan Miraz battling hard with 27, Ngarava returned to finish the job by having his opposite captain caught in the deep. Bangladesh lost five wickets for just 27 runs, collapsing from 207/5 to 234 all out. Zimbabwe had turned a losing position into a remarkable victory.
What decided this contest in the end? Partnerships... and pressure. Ben Curran's unbeaten 111 anchored the innings when Zimbabwe desperately needed stability. Brad Evans' fearless 58 off 38 transformed a decent total into a winning one. Bangladesh had two fifty-makers as well, but unlike Zimbabwe, they could not find one batter to finish the chase. Zimbabwe believed. Bangladesh blinked. The hosts backed their experienced pacers, squeezed every over in the death, and refused to let the game drift away. That stubbornness earned them not only the match, but the series as well.
Zimbabwe Openers to bat through all 50 overs in a Men's ODI:
Andy Flower vs Sri Lanka, New Plymouth, 1992
Grant Flower vs England, Sydney, 1994
Neil Johnson vs Australia, Lord’s, 1999
Alistair Campbell vs India, Sharjah, 2000
Craig Wishart vs Namibia, Harare, 2003
Hamilton Masakadza vs Kenya, Harare, 2009
Brendan Taylor vs South Africa, Bloemfontein, 2010
Brian Bennett vs Ireland, Harare, 2025
Ben Curran vs Bangladesh, 2026*
Andy Flower vs Sri Lanka, New Plymouth, 1992
Grant Flower vs England, Sydney, 1994
Neil Johnson vs Australia, Lord’s, 1999
Alistair Campbell vs India, Sharjah, 2000
Craig Wishart vs Namibia, Harare, 2003
Hamilton Masakadza vs Kenya, Harare, 2009
Brendan Taylor vs South Africa, Bloemfontein, 2010
Brian Bennett vs Ireland, Harare, 2025
Ben Curran vs Bangladesh, 2026*
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe): "[On this team pulling off a victory like that] I think our journey really started from the World Cup, and I think we are carrying on with the momentum. The beauty about this team is the belief. A year ago, we would find ourselves in this position and somehow the game would slip away. Wins have changed our team culture. We believe we can win from any position. Today as well, there was a time we though the game was drifting away. Everyone bowled well and fielded well and here we are.
[On his calm and cautious innings] The winter wickets are a lot different than the summer wickets at Harare. Winter wicket, you are thinking 250 is par. Moisture stays in the wicket for a long time so the first 25 overs could be tricky and then the scoring becomes easier. I felt the wicket was soft and the ball was not coming on so I tried to get a partnership going so that we can build on something. As much as it was uncharacteristic, it was something that the team needed. I am slightly upset that I did not carry on but hopefully the next time.
[On Ben Curran and Brad Evans' knocks] Credit to Ben Curran. He is a real fighter we have amongst ourselves. He had a tough first game and was very disappointed that he was run out. Today he was determined. The fight and the character he showed, and he will do it for us for a long time. I have just loved how he went about his innings today. Then Brad Evans, the way he finished the innings for us, I couldn't be happier for our boys.
[On the support the crowd showered] The lights were coming on and the crowd kept cheering us on. I think before the lights came on as well, there was a period in the game where it was slipping away, we could hear our fans singing and telling us not to give up. Those songs go a long way and thank you to the crowd."
[On his calm and cautious innings] The winter wickets are a lot different than the summer wickets at Harare. Winter wicket, you are thinking 250 is par. Moisture stays in the wicket for a long time so the first 25 overs could be tricky and then the scoring becomes easier. I felt the wicket was soft and the ball was not coming on so I tried to get a partnership going so that we can build on something. As much as it was uncharacteristic, it was something that the team needed. I am slightly upset that I did not carry on but hopefully the next time.
[On Ben Curran and Brad Evans' knocks] Credit to Ben Curran. He is a real fighter we have amongst ourselves. He had a tough first game and was very disappointed that he was run out. Today he was determined. The fight and the character he showed, and he will do it for us for a long time. I have just loved how he went about his innings today. Then Brad Evans, the way he finished the innings for us, I couldn't be happier for our boys.
[On the support the crowd showered] The lights were coming on and the crowd kept cheering us on. I think before the lights came on as well, there was a period in the game where it was slipping away, we could hear our fans singing and telling us not to give up. Those songs go a long way and thank you to the crowd."
Time for the post-match presentations...
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Bangladesh Captain): (On Zimbabwe's recovery after being 66 for 4) "Yes, I think we bowled really well in the first few overs and took four wickets. But unfortunately, they built a big partnership towards the end. That 99-run stand was very disappointing for us because we couldn't break it.
(On where Bangladesh could have done better) I think we could have done better in a few areas. As a bowling unit, we needed to build more pressure and take wickets during that partnership. If we had managed to get a breakthrough, the momentum would definitely have shifted in our favour.
(On the pitch and the chase) I think the wicket was very good, and 248 was a chaseable total. The ball came onto the bat much better in the second innings. We batted well in the middle overs, but we needed more partnerships, especially in the last ten overs. If we had built those partnerships, it would have been much better.
(On batting under lights) It was a little dark under the lights, but we still take some positives from the game. We believe we can improve, but the biggest thing we missed today was building partnerships."
(On where Bangladesh could have done better) I think we could have done better in a few areas. As a bowling unit, we needed to build more pressure and take wickets during that partnership. If we had managed to get a breakthrough, the momentum would definitely have shifted in our favour.
(On the pitch and the chase) I think the wicket was very good, and 248 was a chaseable total. The ball came onto the bat much better in the second innings. We batted well in the middle overs, but we needed more partnerships, especially in the last ten overs. If we had built those partnerships, it would have been much better.
(On batting under lights) It was a little dark under the lights, but we still take some positives from the game. We believe we can improve, but the biggest thing we missed today was building partnerships."
Player of the Match: Ben Curran
Ben Curran (POTM): "[On the conditions out there] The conditions play slightly different in the winter. We saw that in the morning a little bit was happening and, in the afternoon as well. So, to get to the total we did, I think it was a good effort.
[On his knock today] I mean, I have not played one-days in a while. So, I was just taking confidence from the previous series which was also a long time ago. It might sound cliche, but I was sticking to my processes and how I go about it. That made it a lot easier for me to focus and bat through when we were losing wickets in the middle.
[On batting with Brad Evans] It was my first time batting with him. Actually, he can share this man of the match award. But yeah, he played beautifully. He took the pressure off me because I was not striking it as clean as he was towards the backend. So, definitely half the award goes to him."
[On his knock today] I mean, I have not played one-days in a while. So, I was just taking confidence from the previous series which was also a long time ago. It might sound cliche, but I was sticking to my processes and how I go about it. That made it a lot easier for me to focus and bat through when we were losing wickets in the middle.
[On batting with Brad Evans] It was my first time batting with him. Actually, he can share this man of the match award. But yeah, he played beautifully. He took the pressure off me because I was not striking it as clean as he was towards the backend. So, definitely half the award goes to him."
Richard Ngarava (Zimbabwe Captain): (On Zimbabwe's game plan) "To be honest, we knew we didn't bat well in the first game, so we had to do better today. It was good to build a few important partnerships. As a bowling unit, we've always worked well together, and as I always say, Zimbabweans always find a way to survive.
(On the key partnerships) Those partnerships (Curran-Raza and Curran-Evans) were very important, especially the one with Brad Evans towards the end. I also have to give credit to the coaching staff. They've put in a lot of work, especially with the sidearm sessions, and it's great to see the results.
(On his bowling changes as captain) To be honest, a lot of it comes down to gut feeling. Of course, I always speak to the experienced players and let them know what I'm thinking, but at the end of the day, I'm the captain, and I have to make the final decision on the field.
(On winning the ODI series as captain) It's very special. I'm happy, and we'll celebrate this win, but we still have one more game to play. We want to go out there again and make sure we give the fans another win."
(On the key partnerships) Those partnerships (Curran-Raza and Curran-Evans) were very important, especially the one with Brad Evans towards the end. I also have to give credit to the coaching staff. They've put in a lot of work, especially with the sidearm sessions, and it's great to see the results.
(On his bowling changes as captain) To be honest, a lot of it comes down to gut feeling. Of course, I always speak to the experienced players and let them know what I'm thinking, but at the end of the day, I'm the captain, and I have to make the final decision on the field.
(On winning the ODI series as captain) It's very special. I'm happy, and we'll celebrate this win, but we still have one more game to play. We want to go out there again and make sure we give the fans another win."
So how will this ODI be remembered? As the day Ben Curran built the platform... Brad Evans launched the finish... and Zimbabwe's bowlers completed the heist. A 13-run victory. A 2-0 series lead. A comeback scripted through patience first... panic later... and perfection at the very end. Bangladesh still have one match left to avoid a clean sweep. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, can celebrate another memorable day at Harare. Cricket keeps proving one thing. The game is never over... until the final wicket falls.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Manan Mehta, and scorer Dushyan Madhukar Kumar. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Manan Mehta, and scorer Dushyan Madhukar Kumar. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!