Bangladesh fought against all odds and nervy moments to upstage Afghanistan for the second consecutive night to clinch the series 2-0 with a game to spare. In tonight’s match they fought toe to toe with the Afghans before winning the key moments to get over the line in the end. Opting to bowl first, they put in an all-round bowling display led by Nasum Ahmed and Shoriful Islam to keep the score down to 147/5 in 20 overs for Afghanistan.
Chasing 148 for the win, Bangladesh huffed and puffed literally in getting there. They had to rely on Jaker Ali’s 32, Shamim Hossain’s 33 and Nurul Hasan’s unbeaten 31 and Shoriful Islam’s unbeaten 11 in the end as they overcame Omarzai’s 4-wicket haul to upstage Afghanistan by 2 wickets with 5 balls to spare to clinch the three-match series 2-0 with a game to be played on Sunday night in Sharjah.
All-Round Bowling Performance Keeps Afghanistan to 147/5 in 20 overs
Put into bat first, Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran came out to bat for Afghanistan while Shoriful Islam had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Ibrahim made his intentions clear by flicking away the loose ball to the long leg fence. Nasum Ahmed had ball in hand from the other end. He was greeted with a boundary by Atal as he came down the track and lofted it over the bowler’s head. Shoriful continued and delivered a miserly over.
Ibrahim then took the attack to Nasum by sweeping to deep square leg for a boundary. Mohammad Saifuddin came into the attack next. He came and bowled a miserly over. Mustafizur Rahman was introduced into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Ibrahim took the attack to the Fizz by smashing a maximum down the ground over wide long-on and then followed that up with a boundary over mid-off. Ibrahim was given a reprieve when Saif Hassan dropped him off the Fizz at deep square leg where he sprinted and could not hold on.
At the end of the powerplay, Afghanistan were 35/0 in 6 overs and off to a steady start. Saifuddin continued and bowled a decent over. Rishad Hossain was next introduced into the attack. Atal took the attack to Rishad by smashing them for back-to-back maximums both down the ground over long-on as the 50 came up and of the partnership in 7.4 overs. But Rishad had the last laugh as he broke the opening stand getting rid of Atal for 23 off 19 balls with 1 four and 2 sixes to his name.
Rishad changed the angle and bowled fuller than good length around off-stump, Atal moved to cover the line and he hacked it. He didn’t find the timing and missed out on the opportunity to make it hat-trick of sixes. The ball flew towards wide long-on where Parvez Hossain Emon took the catch. Rahmanullah Gurbaz came out to bat next. Shoriful returned to the attack and bowled a miserly over.
Rishad continued as Gurbaz got him away by picking the length early and swatting him down the ground for a boundary. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Afghanistan were 69/1 and decently placed at that stage when the players paused for the Drinks Break.
Nasum Ahmed came back after the break. He got another breakthrough getting rid of Ibrahim for 38 off 37 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. Nasum bowled a length delivery on the off-stump line. Ibrahim stepped down the pitch and clubbed it off the bottom of the bat. Rishad Hossain at long-on took it on the edge of the ropes over his head as a struggling innings came to an end. Debutant Wafiullah Tarakhil walked out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Rishad came back into the attack and got rid of Tarakhil for 1 off 4 balls. Rishad from over the wicket bowled a tossed up delivery outside the line of off-stump. Tarakhil stayed leg side of the ball and got underneath it and launched a big hit down the ground. Saifuddin at long-on ran in to get underneath it and take the catch. Darwish Rasooli came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Rasooli took the attack to Rishad by smashing him across the line to deposit the ball into the roof at deep midwicket region for the maximum.
Saifuddin returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. Nasum Ahmed came back into the attack as Rasooli took him on and hammered across the line for the maximum. But the bowler hit back and got rid of Rasooli for 14 off 9 balls with 2 sixes to his name. Nasum bowled a length delivery outside the off-stump spinning away. Rasooli took it on with an inside out shot towards the longer part of the boundary. Emon at wide long-off charged early to his left and took a wonderful running catch. Azmatullah Omarzai came to the crease next and got off the mark straightaway. Nasum Ahmed finished his spell.
Rishad continued as Gurbaz took him on and smashed it over extra covers for the maximum. The 100 came up for Afghanistan in 14.3 overs. Gurbaz hit another maximum on the leg side by pulling it in front of square just over deep midwicket for a flat hit into the fence. Gurbaz survived a close stumping check against Rishad as his foot was just inside the line when the bails were dislodged. Rishad finished his expensive spell as Afghanistan reached 106/4 after 15 overs.
Mustafizur came back into the attack as Omarzai hit the back of length delivery out of the stadium at deep midwicket region. Shoriful came back for his final over. He got rid of Gurbaz for 30 off 22 balls with 1 four and 2 sixes to his name. Shoriful kept it full and straight. Gurbaz stepped away from the leg stump and exposed all three stumps. He tried to go inside out anticipating a slower delivery as the ball landed on the middle stump line and disturbed the stumps. Mohammad Nabi came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Shoriful finished his excellent spell.
Mustafizur continued as Emon at long-off dropped Omarzai and this turned out to be a big moment in the game. Saifuddin came back to bowl the 19th over of the innings as Nabi launched him by pulling it to right of deep midwicket and cleared the field for the maximum. Mustafizur was tasked to bowl the final over of the innings. Nabi hit him for a boundary by clearing his front leg and going through extra cover. Bangladesh then wasted a review on Nabi for caught behind in hope but there was nothing there on Ultra Edge.
Nabi hit the last ball of the innings for a boundary by moving deep in his crease and squeezing it to fine leg region for a boundary to end the over and innings. Nabi remained unbeaten on 20 off 12 balls with 2 fours and 1 six to his name while Omarzai was unbeaten on 19 off 17 balls with a maximum to his name. Just 2 extras given by Bangladesh as Afghanistan finished with a competitive 147/5 in 20 overs.
Nasum Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh with figures of 2/25 in 4 overs. Shoriful Islam bowled well for his 1/13 in 4 overs. Rishad Hossain picked up 2 wickets but went for 45 runs in 4 overs. Mohammad Saifuddin bowled a decent spell of 0/22 in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman went the distance as he conceded 40 runs in 4 overs as only 5 bowlers were used by Bangladesh. This meant that Bangladesh’s target was 148 runs to win the match and clinch the series 2-0 with a game to spare.
Bangladesh hold their nerves to eke out a thrilling 2-wicket win
Chasing 148 for the win, Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon came to open the batting for Bangladesh. Mujeeb had ball in hand for Afghanistan. Mujeeb started with a decent over. Azmatullah Omarzai shared the new ball from the other end. He provided the breakthrough for Afghanistan dismissing Tanzid for 2 off 7 balls. Omarzai bowled from around the wicket to bowl a length delivery at the off-stump. Tanzid went for the pull but mistimed it. The ball flew towards the midwicket region where Rashid Khan slid to his left and took a simple catch. Saif Hassan came out to bat next.
Saif got off the mark by hitting a boundary off Omarzai. Mujeeb continued as Saif took him on by clearing his front leg and launched it straight as an arrow over the sight screen for the maximum. Omarzai struck again getting rid of Emon for 2 off 5 balls. Omarzai from around the wicket bowled a good length delivery at the off-stump line. Emon came forward to nudge it but the ball hit the pads to deflect to point region. Captain Jaker Ali walked out to bat at 4.
He got off the mark straightaway. Saif then took the attack to Omarzai as he played the pick up shot but he flicked it over deep square leg for the maximum. Mujeeb got another wicket as he dismissed Saif Hassan for 18 off 14 balls with one four and two sixes to his name. Mujeeb bowled a length delivery at the off-stump. Saif made room and looked to go over extra cover but he mistimed it. The ball flew towards extra cover as Atal called for it to run back and take a tumbling catch. Shamim Hossain came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Rashid Khan came to bowl the final over of powerplay. Shamim took the attack to him by depositing it over deep midwicket region for the maximum. He ended the powerplay overs by conceding a boundary to Hossain as Hossain made room and drove straight to evade Rashid to his left. At the end of 6 overs of powerplay in the chase, Bangladesh were 37/3 and struggling as well.
Noor Ahmad was introduced into the attack after the powerplay. Jaker hit Nasum for a boundary by shuffling across and swept it through square leg region. Shamim joined in the fun by chipping it over covers for a boundary. Mohammad Nabi was introduced into the attack.. Jaker took the attack to Nabi by smashing the full delivery around off-stump. Jaker came down the track and tonked it over cow corner for the maximum.
Abdullah Ahmadzai came onto bowl the 9th over. Jaker took on the new ball and launched it over deep square leg for the maximum by shuffling in his crease. Noor continued as Shamim took the attack to him by launching him down on one knee and playing the slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the two batters. At the end of 10 overs, Bangladesh were 74/3 and needed a further 74 more to win off 60 balls with 7 wickets in hand as the players paused for the Drinks Break.
Rashid Khan returned to the attack after the break. Jaker took him on by hitting a flat slog sweep down on the ground and getting it away to square leg for a boundary. He took break for cramps did Jaker. On resumption, Jaker fell as he was dismissed for 32 off 25 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Rashid bowled a full length googly on the middle stump line. Jaker brought an angled bat down to play the leg side and got beaten to get hit on the pads. The call was out as DRS was taken with fair delivery and all three reds meant that the batter had to go as Bangladesh lost all their reviews. Nurul Hasan came out to bat next.
Nabi returned to the attack as Nurul survived a run out scare at the bowler’s end between Nurul and Shamim but no damage was done there. Nurul took on Nabi and went flat with a pull shot over square leg for the maximum. Shamim took the attack to Rashid next by reverse sweeping it over backward point region for a boundary. Nurul joined in the fun as he guided it past short third man for a boundary. Mujeeb returned to the attack as the 100 came up for Bangladesh in 13.5 overs.
Noor returned and got the breakthrough for his side removing Shamim Hossain for 33 off 22 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Noor bowled a short of a length googly pitching outside off-stump. Shamim looked to reverse sweep it and slog it losing his shape. He got a big top edge which is skied in the region between third man and backward point just outside the ring. Mujeeb called for it and ran to his left to put in the dive and take the catch. Nasum Ahmed came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. After 15 overs, Bangladesh were 104/5 and needed 44 runs off the last 30 balls with 5 wickets in hand.
Nasum took the attack against Nabi by smashing him flat and hard over the man at deep midwicket for the maximum. Nurul joined in the fun as he dragged the ball from outside off and pulled it over midwicket for another maximum to put Bangladesh in pole position to win this game. Rashid Khan came back to bowl his final over and he struck off his final ball getting rid of Nasum Ahmed for 10 off 11 balls with a maximum to his name.
Rashid dropped a good length leg break pitching on the middle stump line drifting away and spinning back in after landing. Nasum played across the line and got down on one knee and missed the ball completely. The ball went through and struck timber. Mohammad Saifuddin came out to bat next. Omarzai came back to bowl the 18th over as Saifuddin took him on by hitting the ball on the pads and glancing it between Gurbaz and short fine leg for a boundary. Omarzai hit back the next ball dismissing Saifuddin for 4 off 2 balls with a boundary to his name.
Omarzai from around the wicket bowled a full length delivery wide of the off-stump. Saifuddin went after it to drive away from the body to get an outside edge which is taken easily by Gurbaz. Rishad Hossain came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Omarzai got two in the over as he dismissed Rishad for 2 off 2 balls. Omarzai bowled a good length off-cutter pitching outside off-stump and nipping just enough. Rishad cleared his front leg and swung blindly across the line. He brought his bat down from far outside off stump and missed the line of the ball. The ball jagged back to clip the off bail. Shoriful Islam came out to bat next.
Nurul kept Bangladesh’s hopes alive as she smashed Noor via a slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum. Wides were given while Shoriful joined the party by getting down on one knee and swung hard down the ground over the umpire and away for a boundary. 17 runs came off the 19th over which sealed the deal for Bangladesh.
Shoriful hit the winning runs as he hit Omarzai by clearing his front leg and clubbing it down the ground through mid-on for a boundary. Nurul remained unbeaten on 31 off 21 balls with 1 four and 3 sixes to his name while Shoriful was unbeaten on 11 off 6 balls with 2 fours to his name. 5 extras given by the fielding side as Bangladesh were home and dry by 2 wickets with 5 balls left to clinch the series 2-0 with a game to spare.
Azmatullah Omarzai was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/23 in 3.1 overs. Rashid Khan finished with 2/29 in 4 overs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled well for his 1/18 in 4 overs. Noor Ahmad conceded 40 in 4 overs while picking up a wicket. Mohammad Nabi conceded 32 runs in 3 overs. Abdullah Ahmadzai have away 8 runs in his only over. So, Bangladesh win by 2 wickets with 5 balls to spare to clinch the series. For his all-round display, Shoriful Islam was awarded the Player of the Match award.
What Lies Ahead.
So, Bangladesh have clinched the T20I series in Sharjah 2-0 with a game to spare. That final game will be on Sunday October 5th at 8 PM IST from Sharjah. The fact that Bangladesh won this series without Litton Das speaks volumes about themselves and where Afghanistan stand at this stage. The Afghans will be playing for pride while the Bangla Tigers will look to inflict the whitewash.
Which way is it going to go on Sunday night? Only time will tell when these two teams clash for one final time in the shortest format of the game.
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