Once again, the Bangladesh captain, Shakib al Hassan, chose to bat first with a positive mindset by saying it’s a new day and making three changes in the lineup as they take on Afghanistan in a must-win encounter. Mehidy Hasan was opening the batting which came in as a surprise. Mehidy Hasan smashed a barnstorming ton against Afghanistan.
Cricket is a game of decision-making to the match situation, and today, Bangladesh management has made a master stoke decision to promote Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the opener vs. Afghanistan. as he normally bats at number 6 or 7 for them.
MEHIDY HASAN MIRAZ AND NAJMUL SHANTO HITS CENTURY
Mehidy Hasan Miraz has just done what his captain and team management asked him to do by promoting him as an opener as he has played a turbulent knock he did not waste any time in taking the attack to the opposition by attacking the best bowler in the Afghanistan team Farooqi for two fours in the seventh over of the game.
From then, there was no looking back as he bated sensibly by rotating the strike and putting the bad balls to the fence; he was retired hurt after a well-made 112off 119 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes. He also bowled an economical spell with the ball.
On the other end, his partner Najmul Shanto continued his fine form in this year’s Asia Cup as he supported Mehidy Hasan Miraz when his team was in trouble. Just like last game, he continued from where he left off; the elegance in his batting style is so special, and his timing was top-notch, especially against the spinners.
As he went one step better than the last innings by completing his century, he finished with a score of 104 before getting run out as he slipped, which is an unfortunate way to be dismissed after playing such a match-turning innings.
Skipper Shakib and Mushfiqur played a brilliant cameo to take Bangladesh past 330 as they finished the innings at 334 for 5 as the Afghan fielders affected 3 runouts.
AFGHANISTAN BATSMAN GIVING A FIGHT WITH THE BAT
It’s not a perfect start for Afghanistan, as Gurbaz has gone LBW for just one run to his name. Still, his partner Zadran played some lovely shorts and bated superbly before playing a needless short as the ball crashed onto his top of the middle stump of Taskin, who broke the 78-run second wicket partnership; he scored a well-made 75.
Captain Shahidi played a captain knock and scored a responsible at the same time sensible half-century, but the scoreboard pressure got to him as Shoriful Islam caught him out. Who picked up his second wicket
SHORIFUL ISLAM AND TASKIN SHINE WITH THE BALL
Shoriful Islam broke the back of Afghanistan by removing Gurbaz in his first over, trapping him leg before wicket, and came back in the second spell to remove the skipper, who is well set at the crease.
On the other end, Taskin bowled a tight line and length as he broke the second wicket partnership by removing Zadran, and he wrapped the tail as Shakib caught Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb got hit a wicket. Bangladesh won by 89 runs as Taskin finished with the figures of 4 for 44 in 8.3 overs
It was an excellent partnership between him & Najmul Shanto- Mehidy Hasan
During the post match presentation, Mehidy Hasan was quite delighted to win the player of the match award. Mehidy Hasan pointed out that he along with Najmul Shanto rotated the strike nicely and stated that it was an excellent partnership between him & Najmul Shanto.
“Really happy. The team management believed in me so I played well today. It was a good wicket, the ball was coming well on to the bat nicely. It was an excellent partnership between Shanto and I. He has played well in back-to-back games. We rotated the strike nicely. When the conditions are hot you tend to cramp up, like I did today,” said Mehidy Hasan.
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