Bangladesh batting all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain did not try anything out of the box rather kept to the basics of the game after he was sent to defend 16 runs in the last over against Zimbabwe at the Gabba in Brisbane Sunday.
Mosaddek was as the center of it all as he got Bangladesh a three-run win in a game that finished chaotically and made the red and green celebrate the victory twice.
Defeat on the other hand was a bitter pill to swallow and dented Zimbabwe's semi-final hopes.
Mosaddek following the game informed that he knew by the 16th over of the innings that he will be going to bowl the last over.
And when he came to the action the right-arm spinner dismissed Brad Evans before Richard Ngarava got Zimbabwe a leg-bye four and a huge six over fine-leg to turn the game into a nail-biter.
The African nation required five off the last two balls.
Mosaddek off the first enticed Ngarava to a stumping dismissal, bringing Blessing Muzarabani to the center.
The last Zimbabwe batter had to hit the ball to the boundary but Mosaddek dodged his big swing and got him stumped off the final ball, or so it were.
The game was thought to be over as Bangladesh team and supporters celebrated.
Also Read: How the last ball restart between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe unfolded
The two sides shook hands while the on-field umpires removed the wickets.
But the message from the third-umpire was that wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan had collected the ball in front of the stumps, which became a no-ball, and a free hit.
The game resumed again for the final ball.
Mosaddek bowled but Muzarabani failed to connect.
“I knew by the 16th over that I will have to bowl the last. There was discussion if I should bowl length or yorkers. The field is a bit short at straight so there was chance of getting hit for a six if I tried yorker and missed the length. So I had planned to bowl at the back of length and a bit quick. I had decided to not go beyond the plan given by Shakib [al Hasan] bhai,” said Mosaddek to the media at the mix-zone media interaction following the game.
Speaking of the chaotic end, Mosaddek said the experience is a new one for not only him but most of the members in the dressing room and that he was in continuous discussion with Bangladesh T20I captain Shakib, which helped him to deal with the pressure.
“Anything can happen in a game. I was speaking to Shakib bhai about the pressure and it helped to keep my mind straight,” said Mosaddek.
“The experience [of the chaos in the end] is unique. We all were trying to hold to the nerve when we went back to the field. We tried to bowl according to our plan and that they would need to play a good shot to hit the ball to the fence.”
