C T Online Desk: A brilliant all-round performance from Ish Sodhi helped New Zealand earn an 86-run victory over Bangladesh during the second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday.
Sodhi struck a crucial knock of 35 off 39 balls during the later part of New Zealand innings that guided them to 254 before he finished with a career-best bowling figure of 6-39 to bowl Bangladesh all out for 168 runs in 41.1 overs.
His performance also helped the Kiwis go 1-0 up in the three-match series after the first match ended without a result due to rain.
It was a day to remember for Sodhi for other things as well as he was mankaded by pacer Hasan Mahmud during the 46th over after he went out of the crease before Mahmud completed the delivery.
Although the third umpire gave him out, Bangladesh skipper Liton Das called him back in the field to showcase a great sportsmanship. However, the ICC made mankading a legal way of dismissal last year despite many still feel that it doesn’t go with the spirit of the game.
The Kiwis, who were reduced to 36-3 after they decided to bat first, got back in the game after Tom Blundell (68) and Henry Nicholls (49) put up a 95-run stand for the fourth wicket and later the contributions from the lower-order batters guided them to a decent total.
Debutant pacer Khaled Ahmed and off-spinner Mahedi Hasan took three wickets each for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, in reply, lost Liton (six) in the sixth over before Tamim Iqbal and Tanzid Hasan Tamim shared a 41-run stand to guide them to 60-1 in the 10th over.
Bangladesh batters then started to lose their wickets to Sodhi one by one and they soon found them struggling at 92-5 when Tamim was dismissed after making 44 off 58 balls during his first innings on return.
Another senior campaigner Mahmudullah made 49 off 76 balls but the lack of support from the other hand forced Bangladesh concede a crushing defeat at the end.
It was also Bangladesh’s first defeat to New Zealand in this format since 2008 on their home soil.
The third and final match of the series will be held at the same venue on Tuesday.
