Zimbabwe are within sniffing distance of ending their
drought of five years without an ODI series win over a Test-playing nation and
can gain that win tomorrow against a Bangladesh side in disarray at Harare tomorrow
morning.
So far this series’ it’s been a bit of a cakewalk for the
home side, who have now won all four matches of the tour thus far, including a
Test and a three-day warm-up, and enjoy a two-nil lead in the five-match ODI
series.
New boy on the block Brian Vittori became just the seventh
bowler in history to take a five-wicket haul on one-day debut, and he followed
that up on Sunday by taking 5 for 20 as the tourists went for just 188.
Their batsmen, some newer to the game than others, have been
in steady form. Brendan Taylor’s footwork
hasn’t been great so far this series but Vusi Sibanda followed up his 96 in the
series opener on Friday with a steady 67, before Tatenda Taibu finished
unbeaten on 61 from 74 on their way to a 4 wicket win with 6 overs to spare.
Zimbabawe’s progression has been long but they now look like
quite a force to be reckoned with. Their top order has played spin and seam
with equal ease and their middle order has also proven just fine with all types
of bowling.
All out for 184 in the first one-dayer and a mere four runs
better in Sunday's second match, the tourists have it all to prove after a team
situation which is a crisis according to Shakib Al Hasan and only debutant
Nasir Hossain rescuing his side from 58 for six by making 63 from the number
eight position.
Bangladesh’s left arm spinners, so often their chief threat,
have been unthreatening and non-existent and their seamers have been no better,
leading to the team taking only 9 wickets in two games.
Their batsmen have been uninspiring so far, with top and
lower order collapses evident, and while the surface should remain good for
batting, as it has done through the one-off Test and previous two ODIs, all of
the attraction lies with the home side.
Advice
1 pt Zimbabwe (10/11 SkyBet)
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