[CRK]

Nahid Rana delivered a masterclass with the ball as Bangladesh dismantled New Zealand for 198 in 48.4 overs, thanks to a brilliant five-wicket haul that puts them in a commanding position to level the ODI series.

Rana’s Dominant Spell

The young Bangladeshi pacer, Nahid Rana, recorded his second five-wicket haul in consecutive ODI series—this time claiming 5 for 32 off 10 overs. His performance mirrored his heroics against Pakistan last month, where he also took 5 for 24, solidifying his emergence as a genuine wicket-taking threat in the 50-over format.

Rana made an immediate impact, striking with the first ball of an over on three separate occasions. He disrupted New Zealand’s top order early, picking up two wickets in the first powerplay. His ability to move the ball both ways was on full display when he trapped Henry Nicholls lbw for 13 with a delivery that nipped back into the left-hander. Just two overs later, he banged one into Will Young, who fended it off to Soumya Sarkar at gully after scoring only two runs.

Breaking the Middle-Order Resistance

After a brief respite, Rana returned to dismantle the spine of the innings. Nick Kelly and Muhammad Abbas had steadied the ship with a 56-run partnership, the highest of the innings, pushing New Zealand past the 100-run mark. Kelly, who top-scored with a composed 83, brought aggression into his strokeplay—driving Taskin Ahmed down the ground and cutting sharply through cover.

But Rana broke the stand by returning in the 32nd over. His dismissal of Abbas was crucial—a top-edge flying over the keeper, where Litton Das, celebrating his 100th ODI, sprinted back towards fine leg and completed a stunning catch.

Kelly’s resistance ended two overs later, caught at midwicket off Shoriful Islam after reaching a well-fought half-century. His 83 off 99 balls was the only major contribution in the New Zealand innings.

Closing the Innings in Style

Rana saved his best for the death overs. Returning for his third spell, he removed Dean Foxcroft in the 43rd over, caught at deep square leg by Towhid Hridoy as he attempted a pull shot. Then came the final flourish: a textbook yorker that uprooted Jayden Lennox’s stumps for a duck in the 46th over. He wrapped up his spell with another pinpoint yorker—this time narrowly missing Nathan Smith’s stumps on the final ball of his quota.

Fielding Elevates Performance

Bangladesh’s fielders backed up their bowlers with sharp work across the ground. The team consistently saved crucial singles inside the ring and cut off potential boundaries in the deep. Towhid Hridoy stood out with three catches, including a diving effort at long-on to dismiss the final batter. Litton Das, on his 100th ODI milestone, contributed with two sharp dismissals behind the stumps, underlining his growing leadership role.

Earlier, Soumya Sarkar, playing his first ODI since October, chipped in with the ball by inducing an edge from captain Tom Latham, who departed for 14. The catch barely clung to Litton’s gloves as he dived forward—a testament to his focus at a special personal milestone.

With Rana leading the charge and the fielding unit firing, Bangladesh have handed themselves a golden opportunity to level the series. If their batters can deliver in pursuit of 199, this could be a turning point in their ODI campaign against a competitive New Zealand side.