Batting still top priority for both teams

Bangladesh got off to a winning start in the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe on Friday, as the Tigers began ramping up preparations for the forthcoming T20 World Cup with wins under their belt.

The second T20I will take place at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today, and the focus of both sides will be on an improved batting display.

Zimbabwe were in tatters in the series opener, having been reduced to seven down for 42 before they staged a recovery with a 75-run stand between Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza. The Sikandar Raza-led side cut a sorry figure as their scorecard saw as many as four key batters, including Raza, fail to open their accounts.

The Bangladesh pace unit shone, with Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin taking three wickets apiece. The visitors, however, will have to take the lion's share of the blame in a host of dismissals as their batters made unforced errors on a wicket that behaved well for batting.

Despite the eight-wicket win, Bangladesh did not have the best time with the bat either.

Opener Tanzid Tamim scored a maiden fifty on debut, but his team-high 47-ball 67, featuring eight fours and two sixes, came on the back of three reprieves. His partner Liton Das could not catch a break as he prolonged his batting rut, managing to score just one run before seeing his middle stump dislodged, courtesy of an in-swinger from Blessing Muzarabani.

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto struggled as well, dishing out a 24-ball 21 while chasing a meagre 125-run target. Towhid Hridoy, on the other hand, was not keen on the anchor role as he whipped away five fours and a six for an unbeaten 18-ball 33.

The Tigers will hope to feed on that type of mojo, shown by Hridoy, to sharpen their preparations ahead of the mega event in the USA and West Indies in June.