Afghanistan came out all guns blazing and outplayed their opponents in all facets of the game to win the game by a whopping 200 runs. Afghanistan despite already having a series lead coming into this game, looked a determined side and was eager to win the game and boy they did that with flying colours. Riding on Ibrahim Zadran’s 95 and a whirlwind finish from Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan posted a massive 293/9 in 50 overs.
While defending the score, Bilal Sami picked up a maiden five-wicket haul while Rashid Khan picked up 3 wickets as Bangladesh were skittled out for 93 with Saif Hassan making 43 off those runs at the top. The rest came and went as Afghanistan clean swept Bangladesh by 3 matches to nil which makes Bangladesh vulnerable in 10th place in the standings.
Ibrahim Zadran & Mohammad Nabi powers Afghanistan to 293/9
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran came out to bat for Afghanistan while Nahid Rana had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Gurbaz made his intentions clear as he got onto the front foot and unleased a punch off the middle of the bat through cover point for a boundary. Hasan Mahmud had ball in hand from the other end. Ibrahim announced his intentions as he slashed hard to get it over backward point for a boundary. Ibrahim was not done yet as he hit a straight drive down the ground past the bowler for a boundary.
Nahid should have gotten rid of Ibrahim when he was on 8 but Naim Shaikh at first slip dropped him by making a meal out of the catch. He was late to react and went with one hand as the ball hit the fingertips. He could have gone with two hands, but chose not to and hurt himself in the process. Mahmud continued as Ibrahim was certain to make Bangladesh pay by clipping the ball on the pads through mid-on and midwicket for a boundary. Hasan lost his radar now as he gifted 5 wides to the batting side by bowling too short.
Rana continued as Gurbaz played a glorious shot through the covers for a boundary. Rana then bowled a beamer to Gurbaz which was called a no ball. The free hit got the outside edge and away it went over the slips for a boundary. Tanvir Islam came into the attack next as spin was introduced into the attack. Tanvir bowled a decent over. Rana continued as Gurbaz took him on by shuffling across and whipped it away over backward square leg for the maximum. Gurbaz then got a streaky boundary away by getting the outside edge to third man fence as the 50 came up for Afghanistan in 7 overs.
Tanvir bowled another miserly over. Hasan Mahmud returned to the bowling crease and gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Tanvir continued as Ibrahim hit him by hanging back and holding the pose and timed it through covers and extra cover for a boundary. At the end of the mandatory powerplay, Afghanistan were 66/0 and off to a racing start. Mahmood continued and overstepped first ball and the free hit that followed was launched by Ibrahim for the maximum as he took it and heaved it over midwicket for the maximum.
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz came into the attack next. Ibrahim got another lifeline albeit a tough chance that went down as Shamim Hossain made good ground running and diving but failed to hold onto a very difficult chance. Rishad Hossain came into the attack next. Rishad started with a quiet first over. Gurbaz took a risky single as a better throw from Shanto would have been interesting, but it was missed. Gurbaz brought out some innovation by reverse sweeping it behind square on the off-side. Rishad continued and delivered a decent over.
Tanvir Islam came back into the attack. He removed Gurbaz for 42 off 44 balls with 5 fours and a maximum to his name as Bangladesh got their first wicket. Tanvir bowled it full and around off-stump which was an arm ball. Gurbaz looked to defend but got beaten on the inside edge. The ball pinned him on the front pad. Tanvir appealed and the umpire agreed. Gurbaz decided to challenge the call. There was nothing on Ultra Edge. Ball Tracking showed three reds and Gurbaz was on his way burning a review as well. Sediqullah Atal came out to bat at 3 as Drinks was taken at 99/1 in 16 overs.
Rishad continued after the break as the 100 came up for Afghanistan in 16.1 overs. Rishad kept things relatively tight. Miraz came back into the attack as Ibrahim reached his half-century off 61 balls as he has held the Afghanistan innings together. Rishad bowled another quiet over. Miraz too kept things under check as Afghanistan reached 113/1 in 20 overs as Bangladesh had made a mini comeback by pulling things back in the match.
Rishad continued as Ibrahim broke the shackles by getting down on one knee and swept it to deep backward square leg for a boundary all along the ground. Miraz continued as Ibrahim took the attack to him by using his feet and launched it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Ibrahim then heaved away to the leg side by beating wide long-on for a boundary. Tanvir Islam came back into the attack. He bowled a tight over as well. Shamim Hossain came into the attack next.
Ibrahim welcomed him by picking the length early and cut it hard to deep point for a boundary. The length ball was dispatched away. Tanvir continued as Atal got into the act by hammering it down the track and lofted it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. The 50-plus stand came up between the two players. At the halfway stage of the innings, Afghanistan were 150/1 in 25 overs.
Shamim Hossain bowled another good over. Nahid Rana came back into the attack. He bowled a probing over. Miraz came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over. Atal broke the shackles as he rocked back and pulled it well in front of square on the leg side and picked up a boundary to midwicket fence. Atal then cleared Rishad over backward point for a boundary. Miraz was not happy with the fielding effort from Bangladesh. Ibrahim survived a run out check as he was back in his crease. At the completion of 30 overs, Afghanistan were 169/1.
Rishad came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Saif Hassan was introduced into the attack now. He struck for Bangladesh getting rid of Atal 29 off 47 balls with 3 fours to his name. Saif bowled full on the off-stump which stopped a bit on the surface before arriving at the batter. Atal lunged forward to push it with a straight bat and ended up playing a bit too early than he would have liked and chipped it to the left of the bowler. Saif took the catch easily. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi came out to bat next. Rishad bowled another quiet over. Saif struck again getting rid of Shahidi for 2 off 10 balls.
Saif bowled a fuller length outside the off-stump. Shahidi got down on one knee and lunged forward to play the sweep. He made contact well ahead of his body and lost control over the stroke. He lost his balance as he was stretching to connect and got a top edge as the ball flew towards deep square leg. Towhid Hridoy charged from the deep to leap forward and took a two-handed diving catch. Drinks was taken at this point with Ikram Alikhil coming to the crease after that.
Ikram survived a LBW scare as the ball was missing the stumps with Bangladesh losing a review. Saif ended a probing over. Tanvir continued and bowled a miserly over. Saif too kept things under check. Against the run of play, the well-set batter was dismissed as Ibrahim fell 5 short of his hundred falling for 95 off 111 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes to his name and the crowds and the batter himself was stunned as it was the ultimate heartbreak for the batter. Azmatullah Omarzai came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Saif was on a roll as he now dismissed Ikram for 2 off 13 balls. Saif bowled an arm ball on a length pitching on middle and getting it to come in sharply, Ikram was playing on the back foot but was late in getting his bat with its line as he was cut in half and beaten on the inside edge. The ball goes in between bat and pad to hit the top of the leg stump. Mohammad Nabi came out to bat at 7 and got off the mark straightaway.
Nahid Rana came back into the attack. Nabi survived a close LBW call as the umpire gave it NOT OUT and it was Umpire’s call on hitting the stumps as Bangladesh retained their review. Omarzai took on Rana by slapping the short and wide ball over backward point for a boundary. Rishad returned to the attack as Omarzai pulled him over midwicket for a boundary to bring up the 200 for Afghanistan in 39.2 overs. At the completion of 40 overs with 10 overs to go, Afghanistan are 204/5.
Rana continued as Omarzai whipped the poor ball to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Tanvir Islam returned to the attack and got rid of Omarzai for 20 off 21 balls with 3 fours to his name. Tanvir bowled full and tossed up at the stumps which drifted in with the angle and pitched and turned away just a fraction.
Omarzai looked to push at it well in front of his pads and got beaten on the outside edge and the ball cannoned into the top of off-stump. Rashid Khan came to the crease next and got off the mark with a maximum by coming down the track and launching it over deep extra cover for the maximum.
Rishad returned and bowled another tidy over. Captain Miraz came back into the attack and removed Rashid for 8 off 6 balls with a maximum to his name. Mehidy tossed it up wide outside off-stump fuller in length with pace off the ball. Rashid stepped down the track and looked to go big over covers. He miscued it and the ball went straight into the hands of Hridoy in the deep who dived forward and took a sharp catch just inches from the ground. Nangeyalia Kharote came out to bat next.
Rishad continued and bowled a decent over to finish his wicketless but decent spell. Afghanistan were now 226/7 in 45 overs. Miraz continued as Nabi got into the act by dancing down the track and drilling it hard to left of long-on for a boundary. Nabi survived another LBW appeal against Miraz as the ball pitched outside the leg stump with Bangladesh out of reviews now. Tanvir continued as Kharote should have been dismissed but Rishad put it down at long-off which was a dolly.
Hasan Mahmud returned as Nabi took him on and smoked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Hasan then removed Kharote for 10 off 12 balls. He bowled from around the wicket a slower one length ball around off-stump. Kharote cleared his front leg and looked to heave it across the line but failed to read the change in pace from hand. He was too early into the stroke and watched as the ball hit the top of off-stump. Allah Ghazanfar came to the crease and fell first ball for a golden duck. Hasan had 2 in 2 balls.
He bowled from over the wicket a length delivery outside off-stump nipping back in sharply. Ghazanfar looked to slash that but was too late on the stroke and got beaten by the pace off the surface as the ball cannoned into the off-stump. Bilal Sami came out to bat next.
Nahid Rana returned to bowl the 49th over. The 250 came up for Afghanistan in 48.2 overs. Rana then injured his left leg and walked off the field and Mehidy decided to complete the over. Nabi then took on Miraz by getting down on one knee and swinging it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Miraz bowled wides and then Nabi launched Miraz for back-to-back sixes both down the ground over long-on. 25 runs came off the over.
Hasan was given to bowl the final over as Nabi survived the hat-trick ball. Then he cleared his front leg and whipped it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Few balls later, he launched Mahmud over deep midwicket by clearing his front leg and reached his fifty in 35 balls. Nabi was not finished as he hit Mahmud for two consecutive boundaries through short fine leg and the last ball down the ground flat batted for a boundary as 19 came off the final over. Afghanistan finished with 293/9 in 50 overs with Nabi unbeaten on 62 off 37 balls with 4 fours and 5 sixes to his name. Sami did not face a ball. 23 extras gifted by the visitors.
Saif Hassan was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/6 in 4 overs. Hasan Mahmud finished with 2/57 in 6 overs. Tanvir Islam finished with 2/46 in 10 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz got 1/67 in 9.4 overs. There was one run out in the innings. Rishad Hossain bowled well for his 0/43 in 10 overs. Nahid Rana walked off injured bowling 8.2 overs for 56 runs. Shamim Hossain bowled 2 overs for 12 runs. All this meant that Bangladesh needed a mammoth 294 to win to avoid the whitewash.
Bilal Sami & Rashid Khan combine to skittle Bangladesh out for 93 in 27.1 overs
Chasing 294 for an improbable win, Saif Hassan and Mohammad Naim came out to open for Bangladesh while Azmatullah Omarzai had ball in hand for Afghanistan. Omarzai started with a decent first over. Allah Ghazanfar had ball in hand from the other end. He too kept things under check despite bowling wides.
Omarzai continued as Saif got into the attack by pummelling it over deep square leg for the maximum. Ghazanfar bowled another quiet over. Saif took on Omarzai by slapping it to the right of point for a boundary. Ghazanfar bowled a no ball, but the free hit did not hurt the bowling team.
Naim was hit on the helmet as a mandatory concussion test was done as per protocols. Omarzai bowled another tight over. Saif broke the shackles as he slog swept it down on one knee over deep midwicket for the maximum. Omarzai provided the first breakthough for Afghanistan as he removed Naim for 7 off 24 balls. He bowled from aroynd the wicket a length ball shaping away from outside off-stump. Naim shimmied down the track and looked to smash it down the ground and got an outside edge that was taken by Nabi at first slip. Najmul Hossain Shanto came out to bat next.
Saif then slog swept Ghazanfar over deep midwicket down on one knee for a maximum. At the completion of the first powerplay, Bangladesh were 41/1 in 10 overs. Omarzai continued and bowled a quiet over. Ghazanfar too kept things under check. The debutant Bilal Sami came into the attack now.
Sami struck straightaway removing Shanto for 3 off 16 balls. He bowled hard length from around the wicket outside off-stump nipping back in with the angle. Shanto looked to cut but got cramped for room and got an inside edge that rolled back to hit the stumps. Towhid Hridoy came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Ghazanfar kept things tight from one end. Sami continued as Saif broke the shackles by slapping it away over deep point for a boundary as the fielder could not stop the ball. Drinks was taken with the score at 56/2 in 15 overs with Gurbaz showing injury concerns. Nangeyalia Kharote came into the attack after the break and bowled a good first over.
Rashid Khan came into the attack now. He struck straightaway getting rid of Hridoy for 7 off 12 balls. Googly it was from Rashid from over the wicket. Hridoy misread it and went to play for the inward spin but also rocked back to a full ball. He got beaten on the inside edge and lost his off-stump. Mehidy Hasan Miraz the captain walked out to bat next.
Sami returned and almost got rid of Saif as Rasooli at deep third man put him down. Rashid got into the act as he removed the set batter Saif for 43 off 54 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Rashid bowled a flighted ball on a length that invited the batter forward. Saif lunged forward to defend but the ball spun and sneaked through to clatter the stumps. Shamim Hossain came out to bat next.
Sami got his second wicket now as Mehidy fell for 6 off 9 balls. He bowled hard length delivery outside off-stump. Miraz slashed at it and was lose. Alikhil took the catch easily as the Bangladesh skipper fell cheaply. Nurul Hasan came out to bat next and we had a run out here with Shamim Hossain getting run out for a golden duck. It was absolute chaos in the middle running between the wickets as the run out was completed at the bowler’s end. Rishad Hossain came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Bangladesh were now reeling at 74/6 in 20 overs.
Rashid Khan was having a ball as well as he got rid of Nurul Hasan for 2 off 6 balls. Rashid bowled a full ball spun inwards to evade the inside edge of the bat and pinged the front pad. Nurul reviewed in hope and saw Umpire’s call on hitting the stumps. The review was retained but the batter had to go back to the hut. Tanvir Islam came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Tanvir slammed Sami for a boundary through the point region.
But Sami hit back and got rid of Islam for 5 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name. Sami bowled a full delivery outside off-stump. Tanvir opened his shoulders and tried to bludgeon it downtown. Sami got his palms in the right place and the ball stuck. Hasan Mahmud came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Rashid bowled a rare maiden over. Mahmud managed to drive on the up through extra covers for a cracking boundary.
Sami then got rid of Rishad Hossain for 4 off 7 balls. He bowled it short banged into the surface outside off-stump and it was an effort delivery that bounced more than the batter expected it to. Rishad decided to pull but failed to time it as the ball went straight up in the air to midwicket. Gurbaz took the catch inside the ring. Nahid Rana came out to bat next.
Rashid bowled another quiet over as Bangladesh were reeling at 89/9 at the halfway stage of the game after 25 overs. Sami thought he had Rana caught behind but the umpire said no. The Afghans reviewed for the sake of it and lost a review in the process. Rashid too bowled a decent over. Sami then completed the formalities dismissing Mahmud for 9 off 23 balls with a boundary to his name and completed a five-wicket haul.
Sami bowled from over the wicket a short ball outside off-stump. Mahmud looked to pull but got a top edge that went straight up in the air. Alikhil settled underneath it with gloves on and took the catch as the debutant ended with five-wicket haul. Rana remained unbeaten on 2 off 9 balls as Bangladesh were skittled out for 93 in 27.1 overs. 5 extras given by the fielding side.
Bilal Sami was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan with figures of 5/33 in 7.1 overs. Rashid Khan supported him well with 3/12 in 6 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with 1/20 in 6 overs. Ghazanfar bowled 7 overs for 25 runs while Kharote bowled an over for 3 runs. So, Afghanistan win by 200 runs. Bilal Sami was awarded the Player of the Match and Ibrahim Zadran the Player of the Series as the hosts whitewashed Bangladesh 3-0.
With that, the Afghanistan-Bangladesh series comes to an end with Bangladesh winning the T20Is 3-0 and Afghanistan winning the ODIs 3-0. Afghanistan will next go to Zimbabwe for a tour while Bangladesh will return home to host the West Indies in 6 white ball games soon. Plenty of cricket ahead for both teams and for all of us.
Also Read: AFG vs BAN: Ibrahim Zadran’s Terrific Knock Flabbergasts Bangladesh