Near perfect year for Tigers

Bangladesh national cricket team had a great year in One-Day Internationals in 2022 as they won four out of their five series but a thorn in their achievement remains their series defeat to Zimbabwe, first since 2013.

But otherwise, it was a historic year as they beat South Africa in their den for the first time, and then ended the year with a 2-1 series win over India.

They started the year with a 2-1 series victory over Afghanistan, where Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz put together a heroic 174-run stand for the seventh wicket after the Tigers were reduced to 45-6 chasing 219 and won the match. A Liton Das century ensured the series win in the next match, before them losing the third match.

Then came the away series in South Africa, where Bangladesh were yet to win. A brilliant batting effort from Shakib Al Hasan, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, and Liton ensured that Bangladesh got that win in the first match by 38 runs, before losing the second match, meaning the final ODI was the decider.

And there, Taskin Ahmed came alive. He became the first overseas pacer in a decade to pick up a fifer against South Africa in their den, and that ensured Bangladesh walked to a nine-wicket win to seal a dominating series win against the Proteas.

The West Indies series following that was pretty simple for Bangladesh as they walked over the Caribbeans 3-0 in the ODIs despite losing both the Test and T20I series.

But then came the Zimbabwe tour, where Shakib Al Hasan was not present, Liton was injured in the first match, and cataclysmic chaos ensued.

The Tigers lost the first ODI by five wickets, and Zimbabwe won the second ODI by the same margin to seal the series, their first over Bangladesh in almost nine years. Bangladesh found a consolation victory in the last match, but it hardly brought any solace.

Then, they ended the year with a brilliant series win over India despite skipper Tamim Iqbal and pacer Taskin Ahmed being out injured.

Liton was handed captaincy but it was Miraz who took the spotlight as he first brought home an impossible victory for Bangladesh in the first ODI, putting together a 51-run stand with Mustafizur Rahman to guide Bangladesh to a win after Shakib had picked five to bowl India out for 186.

In the second, Miraz went one better as he picked up his maiden ODI ton, and that allowed Bangladesh to find a five-run win and also the series.

Overall, the year ended up as a sweet one for Bangladesh as they won four series out of five, but the defeat to Zimbabwe will sting, and they will hope that in 2023, they will iron those errors out.