Bangladesh delivered a stunning performance, defeating Afghanistan by eight runs in a critical Asia Cup group stage match. This hard-fought victory has kept their dreams of Super Fours qualification very much alive.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with momentum swinging back and forth. Bangladesh, fresh off a six-wicket loss to Sri Lanka, showcased a cohesive team effort that ultimately led them to triumph.
Initially, Afghanistan seemed to have the upper hand. They successfully limited Bangladesh to a total of 154 for five. However, their chase proved challenging, and they were ultimately bowled out for 146 runs within their allotted 20 overs.
Azmatullah Omarzai provided a significant spark for Afghanistan, scoring a quick 30 runs off just 16 balls. His impactful innings included a crucial 20 runs in Saif Hassan’s 14th over, which briefly reignited Afghanistan’s hopes after a slow start.
However, Omarzai’s valiant effort came to an end after hitting a six off Taskin Ahmed in the 16th over. Mustafizur Rahman then delivered a double blow in the penultimate over, dismissing star player Rashid Khan for 20 and AM Ghazanfar for a duck, effectively sealing Afghanistan’s fate.
Bangladesh’s victory was anchored by their exceptional fielding and dominant displays in both powerplays. They started strong, scoring 59 runs without losing a wicket in their opening powerplay, and then brilliantly restricted Afghanistan to just 27 runs for two wickets in the opposition’s batting powerplay.
Spinner Nasum Ahmed made an immediate impact, taking the wicket of Sediqullah Atal with his very first delivery. He continued his stellar performance by dismissing Ibrahim Zadran for 5 runs in the fifth over, setting a formidable challenge for Afghanistan.
Despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s solid batting at the top, Afghanistan struggled to form meaningful partnerships as Gulbadin Naib also departed for 16 runs without making a significant impression on the scoreline.
Bangladesh’s spin attack, particularly Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain, outshone their Afghan counterparts. Nasum’s impressive figures of 4-1-11-2 and Rishad’s 2 wickets for just 18 runs in 4 overs were instrumental. In contrast, Afghanistan’s key spinners, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, had earlier taken 2/26 and 2/23 respectively to keep Bangladesh in check.
Bangladesh’s innings was highlighted by opener Tanzid Hasan’s explosive 52 runs off 31 balls. His dynamic partnership with Saif Hassan, who contributed 30 runs, helped Bangladesh reach a strong position of 87 for one at the halfway mark.
The Afghan bowling unit, especially their spinners and the contributions from Azmatullah Omarzai, managed to apply pressure by maintaining tight lines and variations, momentarily slowing down Bangladesh’s scoring rate.
Tanzid Hasan showcased his aggressive intent early on, smashing four boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi in the third over, even after surviving a close leg-before appeal.
Saif Hassan further demonstrated his attacking style with a powerful six against AM Ghazanfar, and Tanzid followed up with two more spectacular sixes off the same Afghan spinner in the sixth over, displaying Bangladesh’s early dominance.
Afghanistan’s captain, Rashid Khan, eventually broke the flourishing opening partnership when his low delivery outfoxed Saif’s sweep shot and rattled the off-stump.
Although Bangladesh maintained a good scoring pace until the tenth over, they ultimately faced increasing pressure from Afghanistan’s skilled spinners, who consistently delivered tight lines and limited the scoring opportunities for the batsmen.