Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai starred for Pakistan with 3-wickets apiece as Afghanistan did well to weather the half-centuries by Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to restrict Bangladesh to 221 in 48.5 overs. Opting to bat first, Bangladesh rode on half-centuries from Towhid Hridoy and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz to post 221 in 48.5 overs.
Afghanistan were struggling at one stage but 3-wicket hauls from Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai pegged things back and kept the score down to manageable levels. 221 is a good score and is something that keeps both teams interested in the game.
Afghanistan chip away at wickets to keep Bangladesh down to 51/2 in the first 10 overs
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Saif Hassan on debut opened the batting with Tanzid Hasan. Bashir Ahmad had ball in hand for Afghanistan. Tanzid made his intentions clear as he cut hard and got the thick outside edge over the cordon for a boundary. Azmatullah Omarzai had ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a tight over. Bashir continued as Saif cut him nicely through deep backward point for a boundary. Omarzai continued as Tanzid was dropped by Rahmat Shah at forward square leg as he got a lifeline. Tanzid got a streaky boundary away past the keeper for a boundary.
Omarzai came back and got rid of Tanzid for 10 off 10 balls with 2 fours to her name. Omarzai bowled a good length delivery that pitched on the off-stump line and nipping away a tad from the left-hander. The batter poked at it but managed to get a thick outside edge as Gurbaz made no mistake. Najmul Hossain Shanto came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Bashir continued as Saif stayed back from the line of the ball and threw his bat at it. She mashed it over cover point for a boundary. Omarzai struck for Afghanistan as Shanto departed for 2 off 5 balls. Omarzai from over the wicket bowled a touch fuller and around the off-stump line. Shanto committed on the front foot a tad early and tried to check his shot at the last moment, but he ended up chipping it straight to Shahidi at mid-off who took a dolly. Towhid Hridoy came to the crease next. He got off the mark soon.
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar came into the attack next. He started with a maiden over. Omarzai continued as Hridoy used his wrists and flicked it to deep midwicket region for a boundary. Ghazanfar continued as Saif shimmied down the track and heaved it over mid-on for a boundary. Ghazanfar bowled a no ball as Hridoy took full tole of the free hit by launching over deep midwicket for the maximum. Bashir continued to bowl the final over of powerplay.
Saif rides the bounce and cut it over the point region for a boundary. Saif hit another boundary off Bashir over long-on region. After 10 overs, Bangladesh were 51/2 at the end of the powerplay.
Saif Hassan falls, Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz steady things for Bangladesh.Â
Ghazanfar continued and bowled a decent over. Nangeliya Kharote came into the attack. Kahrote hot rid of Saif Hassan for 26 off 37 balls with 5 fours to her name. He bowled a fuller length delivery on the top of off-stump line. Saif made room for himself, bent his back knee and looked to thump it over covers. But she mistimed the stroke to the wide long-off region. Rashid in the deep ran to his left and take a good catch. Mehedi Hasan Miraz came out to bat next as captain.
Rashid Khan came into the attack next. He started his spell with a quiet over as usual. Kharote continued and bowled a decent over. Rashid too gave away single and doubles easily. Kharote continued and bowled another quiet over. Drinks was taken in Abu Dhabi at this stage. Rashid Khan bowled a quiet over to make things interesting. Kharote continued as Miraz survived a close LBW appeal. Rashid bowled a good over yet again. Kharote continued as Miraz nailed the slog sweep down on one knee and slog swept it from the meat of the blade towards the midwicket fence. Bangladesh were 80/3 in 20 overs.
Mohammad Nabi was introduced into the attack. Nabi started his spell well. Kharote too kept things under check. Nabi bowled another quiet over. Rashid bowled another decent over. Nabi continued and kept Bangladesh at bay. Bangladesh reached 98/3 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
Hridoy & Mehidy Hasan Miraz falls after scoring 50s as Bangladesh lay a platform to go big later on.Â
The 100 came up for Bangladesh in 25.1 overs as Rashid continued for another over. The 50-run stand came up between Miraz and Hridoy. Nabi continued and bowled a quiet over. Ghazanfar came back into the attack. He almost got of Miraz but then had her LBW going down the leg side. Nabi bowled well but could not get the breakthrough. Hridoy broke the shackles as she launched it over long-on for a maximum. Ghazanfar continued. There was a confusion about the height of the ball, and as a result no ball was cleared. The free hit yielded 0 runs.
Bangladesh were 131/3 in 30 overs. Hridoy took on Nabi by whacking it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Kharote came back into the attack and bowled a maiden over. Azmatullah Omarzai came out to bowl in the attack and bowled a good over. Kharote continued as Mehidy’s fifty came up off 74 balls. Omarzai came back into the attack. Hridoy from over the wicket bowled a length delivery nipping back in sharply. Hridoy closed the bat face to work in the leg side and pinged high on the pads and the ball trickled away to the deep third man fence for leg byes.
Omarzai gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. The 100-run stand came up between the two players. Just 6 off that over. Gharote continued and we had a run out to end the partnership as Hridoy had to go back to the hut for 56 off 85 balls with one four and 3 sixes to his name. Jaker Ali came out to bat next. Omarzai came onto bowl next. Jaker hit him with a well-controlled shot towards deep backward square leg. Miraz was given OUT LBW off Kharote but the review saved him. Kharote bowled another quiet over.
Rashid returned to the attack and removes Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 60 off 87 balls with one four and one six to his name. Rashid bowled fuller in length googly on the off and middle stump line. The batter looks to play at it and is beaten on the inside edge onto his pads. The appeal is given. The batter reviews and three reds to see the end of him and the review. 200 ODI wickets now for Rashid Khan. Nurul Hasan came into the crease next. Bangladesh made 177/5 in 40 overs.
Afghanistan strike back and bowl Bangladesh out for 221
Rashid Khan struck for his side as he trapped Jaker Ali for 10 off 16 balls with a boundary to his name. Rashid bowled a length ball around off-stump googly as it pitched and turned back in. Jaker rocked back and was playing for the leggie. He got beaten on the inside edge and was wrapped on the back pad. Tanzim Hasan Sakib came out to bat next. Ghazanfar bowled another quiet over. Rashid continued and burnt a review for LBW against Sakib.
Sakib took on Allah and heaved it away over wide long-on for the maximum. Rashid came to bowl his final over and he got rid of Nurul Hasan for 7 off 14 balls. Rashid bowled another googly around off. Nurul prod forward to defend and played down the wrong line. He got beaten on the inside edge and wore it on the front pad. Hasan Mahmud came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Bangladesh were now 197/7 in 45 overs. Rashid finished his spell as well.
The 200 came up for Bangladesh in 45.4 overs. Ghazanfar came back into the attack and got rid of Mahmud for 5 off 9 balls. He tossed it up full around off-stump a leggie. Mahmud swung his bat across the line and got a top edge that ballooned up in the air. Ibrahim took a simple catch at backward point. Taskin Ahmed came out to bat next.
Omarzai got another as he removed Sakib for 17 off 23 balls with a maximum to his name. He bowled a short of a length delivery outside off-stump slower ball, Sakib cleared his front leg and looked to muscle it straight down the ground. He mistimed it from the splice of the bat and Nabi took the catch easily. Tanvir Islam came out to bat next. Taskin flicked Omarzai past short fine leg for a boundary.
Ghazanfar continued as Islam stepped down the track and pumped it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. The next ball went the distance as Tanvir shuffled across and thumped it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Tanvir got dismissed for 11 off 8 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name to Allah. He bowled a short of a length delivery around the fourth stump line googly. Tanvir stepped out and swung his bat across the line. He got beaten on the outside edge and Gurbaz did the rest. Taskin remained unbeaten on 4 off 1 ball as Bangladesh were bowled out for 221 in 48.5 overs. 13 extras given by the fielding side.
Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan with figures of 3/38 in 10 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with 3/40 in 9 overs. Ghazanfar chipped in with 2/55 in 9.5 overs. Kharote finished with 1/32 in 10 overs. Nabi and Bashir did not take a wicket. So, Afghanistan now needed 222 to win this first ODI.
What Lies Ahead
Afghanistan have done well to keep Bangladesh down to 221 after taking 5 wickets in the back 10 overs. But the Tigers have runs on the board. This is a good sporting pitch and we will have a contest between bat and ball. This match can go either way, but momentum with Afghanistan now. Let’s see how the chase will unfold from here.
Also Read:Â AFG vs BAN: Afghanistan Looks To Set The Record Straight Against Bangladesh