Mustafizur’s six-wicket haul scripts big win for Bangladesh

Bangladesh 108 for 0 (Tanzid 58*, Sarkar 43*) beat USA 104 for 9 (Gous 27, Anderson 18, Mustafizur 6-10) by ten wickets

Mustafizur Rahman‘s career-best 6 for 10 backed up by an unbeaten century-stand between Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar helped Bangladesh claim a resounding ten-wicket win over USA in the third and final T20I in Dallas. It brought down the series margin to 2-1 for USA who would nonetheless celebrate a milestone performance.

Mustafizur’s six-for – the first time a Bangladesh bowler claimed a six-wicket haul in T20Is – restricted USA to 104 for 9. In reply, Tanzid and Sarkar added 108 runs in just 11.5 overs to take Bangladesh home. This was Mustafizur’s second six-for in white-ball cricket after his 6 for 43 against India in an ODI in 2015.

Apart from Mustafizur, wristspinner Rishad Hossain also bowled brilliantly conceding just seven runs in his four overs and picking a wicket. This was Bangladesh’s most economical T20I spell (minimum four overs). Before both of these milestones though, Shakib Al Hasan reached a unique feat, too.

Shakib takes his 700th wicket

Having secured the series, USA rested four first-choice players in Monank Patel, Steven Taylor, Harmeet Singh and Ali Khan. They got off to a blazing start after being sent in, with Shayan Jahangir creaming Hasan Mahmud for two fours in the second over before Andries Gous launched Shakib for a huge six over midwicket. Gous then took a liking to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, hitting him twice through point and cover, in between a beautiful flick shot.

Gous finished the fourth over with another four through fine leg. After Jahangir lofted Shakib for his first six next over, Najmul Hossain Shanto dropped Gous on 23. He smacked the next ball for four, but Shakib finally removed Gous in the same over. He made 27 off 15 balls, becoming Shakib’s 700th international wicket. Shakib became the 17th cricketer to reach the milestone but the first to get to the mark with 14000-plus runs under his belt.

Rishad sparks USA slowdown

Jahangir was dismissed in the last over of the powerplay caught at deep square leg off Mustafizur. Nitish Kumar and Milind Kumar could only add ten runs in 3.5 overs before Mustafizur broke this stand in the 10th over when Nitish was caught behind for 3.

Rishad meanwhile kept things tight at the other end. Milind was his only wicket, getting caught in the deep leg-side boundary after a painstaking 7 off 20 balls. Before Milind’s wicket, Tanzim had removed Aaron Jones in the 12th over, when the USA captain for the day half-heartedly struck a pull shot down Rishad’s throat at the deep square-leg boundary.

USA fizzle to Fizz

When Shadley van Schalkwyk struck Mahmudullah for a four through long-on, it was USA’s first boundary in 10.5 overs. Corey Anderson then hit Tanzim for a four and six in the next over and it looked like the home side were warming up for a fast finish.

Mustafizur put paid to those thoughts removing both van Schalkwyk and Anderson in the 18th over. Bowling from the around-the-wicket angle to both left-handers, he first got one to slide away from van Schalkwyk to hit the top of his off stump while Anderson chopped one onto his stumps for 18. Mustafizur then pinned a yorker through Jasdeep Singh’s legs in the last over, before getting Nisarg Patel to hole out at point for his sixth wicket.

Tanzid, Soumya eases the nerves

Bangladesh motored along through the powerplay as USA struggled without their three first-choice bowlers. Tanzid slapped two Saurabh Netravalkar half-volleys for fours through the covers. Soumya survived two mistimed shots in between a four and a six in van Schalkwyk’s first over before Tanzid went after Jasdeep and Milind in the next two overs. The pair struck one four each in Nitish’s over, and then one six each off Netravalkar

Tanzid reached his third T20I fifty in the 11th over before his second six got the partnership to three figures. Soumya played the perfect foil with his unbeaten 43 off 28 balls with two sixes. The pair put on their second century stand in 15 days.