Nahid Rana was the difference in Mirpur on Monday. The young fast bowler ripped through New Zealand with figures of 5 for 32, helping Bangladesh dismiss the visitors for 198 in 48.4 overs in the second ODI, before the hosts calmly chased the target down for a six-wicket win with 87 balls left. The result squared the three-match series at 1-1 after Bangladesh had lost the opener by 26 runs.
For a side that looked rattled after its late collapse in the first match, this was a sharp response. Bangladesh’s bowlers set the tone early, and Rana, bowling with pace and a bit of menace, kept breaking partnerships just when New Zealand seemed ready to settle. He removed Henry Nicholls and Will Young in the first phase, then came back to take out Muhammad Abbas, Dean Foxcroft and Jayden Lennox, turning a slightly awkward New Zealand innings into a properly damaging collapse.
New Zealand never quite found rhythm. Nick Kelly did the heavy lifting with 83 off 102 balls, striking 14 fours and holding the innings together for long stretches, but support around him was patchy. Tom Latham made 14, Abbas scored 19, Foxcroft added 15, and only Nathan Smith’s unbeaten 18 gave the total a little late resistance. Bangladesh’s attack stayed disciplined around Rana’s burst, with Shoriful Islam picking up two wickets, while Soumya Sarkar, Rishad Hossain and Taskin Ahmed chipped in with one each.
The conditions seemed to reward patience, but Bangladesh’s bowlers made life harder by keeping the ball in good areas and letting the surface do enough. New Zealand lost wickets at 25, 28 and 52, and although Kelly tried to rebuild, the innings kept stalling. From 145 for 4, they slipped further under pressure and were eventually bowled out short of what looked, even on a tricky pitch, a competitive score.
Bangladesh’s chase was much calmer than their effort in the series opener. They reached 199 for 4 in 35.3 overs, which tells its own story. Najmul Hossain Shanto made 50 from 71 balls, Towhid Hridoy finished unbeaten on 30 from 31, and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz stayed there at the end on 8 not out. Jayden Lennox took two wickets for New Zealand, but the pressure never really built for long.
That, honestly, may be the most encouraging bit for Bangladesh. The bowling was outstanding, yes, but the chase also looked measured and mature, especially after the team’s ugly finish in the first ODI, when it lost its last six wickets for 37 runs while pursuing 248. This time there was no panic, no dramatic unraveling, just a steady march to the target once New Zealand had been kept under 200.
Rana’s spell will grab the attention, and rightly so. ESPNcricinfo lists him as player of the match after his second ODI five-wicket haul, and the performance fits the broader sense around him: Bangladesh see him as one of their genuine pace threats in a fast-bowling group that also includes Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam. On Monday, he looked every bit the spearhead.
So the series moves on nicely balanced. New Zealand took the first game by 26 runs on April 17 in Mirpur; Bangladesh hit back on April 20 at the same venue; and the decider is scheduled for April 23 in Chattogram. After the way the second ODI swung, neither side will feel especially comfortable.
