Bangladesh's batting woes resurfaced as they slumped to a 32-run defeat against Zimbabwe in the opening game of the three-match T20 International series at Queens Sports Club in Harare today, despite a career-best bowling performance from pacer Nahid Rana.
Chasing 171, Bangladesh were bundled out for 138 in 19 overs after suffering a dramatic collapse, losing their last five wickets for just eight runs in the space of 14 deliveries.
Yasir Ali, returning to Bangladesh's T20I side after a four-year absence, offered the only significant resistance with a maiden T20I half-century.
He struck 54 off 38 balls, smashing two fours and three sixes, but his dismissal sparked the visitors' collapse.
Zimbabwe's pace duo Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani, who gave Bangladesh torrid time in one-off Test and ODI series, shared eight wickets between them to dismantle the Bangladesh batting lineup.
Ngarava finished with 4-26, while Muzarabani claimed 4-17.
Bangladesh began the chase positively before Ngarava struck twice in three deliveries, removing openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim (16) and Saif Hassan (12).
Muzarabani then dismissed Parvez Hossain Emon for five in the next over, reducing Bangladesh to 34-3 inside five overs.
Yasir attempted to revive the innings but captain Towhid Hridoy departed for 14 to spinner Milton Shumba, while Nurul Hasan Sohan's run-out further dented Bangladesh's hopes.
A 52-run partnership between Yasir and Mahedi Hasan (19) briefly revived the chase before Muzarabani dismissed Mahedi and Ngarava removed Yasir.
The Zimbabwe pacers then wrapped up the tail to hand the hosts a 1-0 lead in the series.
Earlier, Nahid Rana produced a career-best T20 performance with figures of 4-26 to restrict Zimbabwe to 170-6 after they had threatened a much bigger total.
Opener Brian Bennett led the hosts with a brisk 44 off 30 balls, hitting six fours and a six, while he and fellow opener Tadiwanashe Marumani (14) gave Zimbabwe a flying start after Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy elected to field first.
Nahid provided the breakthrough by dismissing Marumani before Mohammad Saifuddin removed Dion Myers for 20.
The Bangladesh tear away returned to halt Zimbabwe's momentum, denying Bennett a half-century before striking twice in consecutive deliveries to remove Milton Shumba and Tashinga Musekiwa, leaving the hosts on 139-6 in the 18th over.
However, Ryan Burl and Brad Evans finished strongly with an unbroken 31-run stand.
Burl remained unbeaten on 30, while Evans blasted 19 off 10 balls, taking 17 runs from Nahid's final over with four consecutive boundaries to lift Zimbabwe to a competitive total.
The second T20 is on Friday at the same venue as Bangladesh will look to stay alive in the series, keeping the hopes of winning a series of at least one format in the tour.
