Nahid Rana produced the best ODI bowling figures by a Bangladeshi, but Bangladesh still lost the opening match against Zimbabwe and he blamed the batting.
A record spell
The quick took 6 for 21 from 10 overs, beating Mashrafe Mortaza’s 6 for 26 against Kenya in 2006. He left Zimbabwe on 70 for 8, but Richard Ngarava and Newman Nyamhuri added 63 for the ninth wicket and the hosts reached 141.
Bangladesh then struggled against Zimbabwe’s seamers and were all out for 116, giving Zimbabwe a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Rana’s verdict
Rana said the bowlers started well but the batting did not deliver. He felt that avoiding clusters of wickets and building a good stand might have changed the result.
The 22-year-old also thought Bangladesh let Zimbabwe recover by failing to break the ninth-wicket partnership sooner. Taking that wicket earlier would have kept the total lower, he said, and the bowling was a little loose during the stand.
He said personal records matter little without a win, and that he enjoys bowling and tries to make the most of every day to help his team.
Test absence
Rana rejected the idea that he regretted missing Bangladesh’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe. He said it was planned workload management and that he was preparing for the ODIs.
Bangladesh will try to level the series in the second ODI at Harare Sports Club on July 9.
