Nahid Rana rues bowling let-off in loss to Zimbabwe

Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana feels that they paid the price in the three-match ODI series opener against Zimbabwe as their bowling unit bowled with less intensity. Rana, who picked 6 for 21, the best figures by a Bangladesh bowler in the format as he surpassed Mashrafe Mortaza's 6-26 against Kenya in 2006, ended up on the wrong side of the result as Zimbabwe earned a 25-run win in the low-scoring affair.

Zimbabwe were once reeling at 70/8 before captain Richard Ngarava and Newman Nyamhuri began to throw their bats around against the Bangladesh spinners, adding 63 runs off 81 balls to help them post 141 runs on a spicy wicket.

While Zimbabwe successfully defended the fourth-lowest total in ODI history, the 25-run defeat marked Bangladesh's lowest failed run chase in an ODI where the full 50 overs were available.

Rana, the star performer from the touring side did not shy away from pointing fingers at the batting unit.

"I think we started well bowling-wise, but when it came to batting we couldn't do well and if we hadn't lost back to back wickets and put on a good partnership, result could've been different today," Rana said following the game.

"They had a partnership going for them for the last (second last wicket), if I had taken that wicket earlier then they would have been restricted for less, it would have been better for us, I felt our bowlers bowled a bit loose at that time," he said.

"Of course I always enjoy my bowling, and when I feel it's my day I try to make full use of it and help my team win, I couldn't do it today (help team win). If our bowlers had broken that partnership then the result could have been different today," he added.

Rana also said that he did not miss the lone Test against Zimbabwe as he was rested and added that he was preparing for the white-ball series during that period of time.

"I wouldn't say I missed being out of the lone Test as it was down to my workload management, that time I was preparing for the upcoming one-day series," said Rana, who picked his third five-wicket haul in ODIs.