Liton, Tamim wreak havoc on Zimbabwe

Bangladesh openers Liton Kumar Das and Tamim Iqbal ensured skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza got a memorable send-off in his last match as captain, putting together a mammoth 292-run partnership in the third and final ODI of the series against Zimbabwe.

Along the way, the duo broke almost all national batting records as Bangladesh posted 322 in 43 overs at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. 

As the innings had been shortened by rain, Zimbabwe were given the herculean task of chasing 342 in their 43 overs.

Zimbabwe had won the toss and put Bangladesh in to bat first, but no one could have predicted what would follow.

Ahead of the rain interruption in the 33rd over of the first innings, Liton and Tamim first broke the record for highest opening stand for Bangladesh. 

The previous record of 170 set by Shahriar Hossain and Mehrab Hossain had stood for 21 years.

After the rain delay, the batsmen decided to lift the tempo and Liton in particular was in devastating form.

@BCBtigers ensured a winning send-off for outgoing captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, thrashing @ZimCricketv by 123 runs in the third and final ODI of the series at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Friday.https://t.co/YKzCGY7aCg#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESHCRICKET #CRICKET

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) March 6, 2020

Tamim unselfishly gave his younger and less experienced partner the strike, seemingly urging him to break the record for highest individual score for Bangladesh that Tamim himself had set at 158 in the second ODI just a few days ago.

Liton did just that, going on to hit 176 runs off 142 balls. 

His innings included eight sixes, which is the most by a Bangladeshi batsman in an ODI, and 16 fours.

However, Liton was extremely fortunate to reach the milestone, with Zimbabwe dropping catches off his batting on three occasions. 

The right hander was dropped first on 102, then on 122 and lastly on 144. 

He finally perished in the 41st over when Sikandar Raza held one off the bowling of Carl Mumba.

The 292-run partnership is the highest for any wicket for Bangladesh, surpassing the 224 scored by Shakib al Hasan and Mahmudullah against New Zealand at Cardiff during the Champions Trophy 2017.

Mashrafe since 2010 has led @BCBtigers in ODIs in two parts and is the most successful, having won 49 times in 87 matches.https://t.co/joWWbRwlY6#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESHCRICKET #BANGLADESH #CRICKET #MASHRAFEBINMORTAZA #MASHRAFE #BIN #MORTAZA #MASH #MASHRAFEMORTAZA

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) March 6, 2020

It is also the third highest first wicket partnership for any country and the fifth highest partnership in ODIs.

West Indies batters John Campbell and Shai Hope hold the record for highest first wicket partnership with 365 runs against Ireland in 2019. 

The second highest is 304-runs between Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 2018.

After Liton’s departure, Tamim took the role of aggressor and eventually finished the innings unbeaten on 128 off 109 deliveries, including seven fours and half a dozen sixes. 

Liton has now registered two centuries in three matches, while this is the second time that Tamim has struck two consecutive centuries in his career. 

Tamim now has 13 ODI centuries, extending his lead as the Bangladeshi batsman with the most centuries in the format.

Tamim last got back to back hundreds against Pakistan in Dhaka in April 2015, scoring 132 in the first ODI and an unbeaten 116 in the second.