Nahid Rana’s Five-Wicket Masterclass as Bangladesh Levels ODI Series in Dhaka

DHAKA: Nahid Rana’s searing pace and a composed batting display from Tanzid Hasan powered Bangladesh to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the 2nd ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The comprehensive win sets up a winner-takes-all series finale in Chattogram later this week.

After New Zealand captain Tom Latham opted to bat first on a surface that offered early zip, the visitors found themselves suffocated by a relentless opening spell. The day, however, belonged to young speedster Nahid Rana. Utilizing his height and raw pace, Rana dismantled the Black Caps' top order, finishing with career-best figures of 5 for 32.

The New Zealanders struggled to find any rhythm as Rana’s bounce extracted edges and hurried the experienced middle order. The breakthrough came early when Henry Nicholls was given LBW. Rana then removed Will Young and Tom Latham in quick succession, leaving the visitors reeling at 52 for 3.

While wickets tumbled at one end, Nick Kelly played a lone hand of defiance. Kelly’s patient 83 off 102 balls was the cornerstone of the New Zealand innings. His innings featured fourteen boundaries. He navigated the spin of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the discipline of Taskin Ahmed with relative ease, yet he lacked a stable partner. Muhammad Abbas provided a little resistance with 19, but once Rana returned for his second spell to clean up the tail, the innings folded for 198 in 48.4 overs.

Bangladesh Chased With Dominance

The target of 199 appeared straightforward. Saif Hassan fell early to Nathan Smith.

What followed was a masterclass in calculated aggression. Tanzid Hasan  took the attack to the bowlers. His 76 was punctuated by elegant drives and authoritative pulls. Alongside him, Shanto played the anchor role to perfection, compiling a half-century that prioritized strike rotation over risk-taking.

The pair shared a 100-run partnership that broke the back of the chase. Tanzid eventually fell to Ish Jayden’s leg-spin, but by then, the required rate had plummeted to under three runs per over. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Towhid Hridoy then saw the team home with 87 balls to spare.

With the series locked at 1–1, both teams now head to Chattogram for the third ODI on April 23, where the momentum firmly resides with the Tigers.