Bangladesh vs Afghanistan (Special Arrangement)
Bangladesh clinched a vital eight-run win against Afghanistan in a thrilling Asia Cup group stage match on Tuesday, dramatically boosting their hopes for Super Fours qualification.
After a disappointing six-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka earlier, Bangladesh bounced back with a formidable all-round team effort in a fiercely contested game marked by numerous swings in momentum.
Initially, Afghanistan seemed to have the upper hand, having restricted Bangladesh to a manageable 154 for five. Yet, their chase quickly faltered, leading to them being bowled out for just 146 runs within their allotted 20 overs.
Azmatullah Omarzai provided a ray of hope for Afghanistan, smashing a quick 30 runs off just 16 balls, including an impactful 20 runs in Saif Hassan’s 14th over, which ignited a brief resurgence after their shaky start.
However, Omarzai’s explosive innings was cut short soon after he hit a six off Taskin Ahmed in the 16th over. Mustafizur Rahman then delivered the decisive blows, dismissing key batsman Rashid Khan for 20 and AM Ghazanfar for a duck in successive deliveries during the crucial penultimate over, effectively sealing Afghanistan’s defeat.
Bangladesh’s victory was anchored by their exceptional fielding and commanding displays in both the batting and bowling powerplays. They piled on 59 runs without losing a single wicket in their initial batting powerplay, while brilliantly stifling Afghanistan to a mere 27 for two during their turn to bat in the powerplay.
Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed immediately made his mark, dismissing Sediqullah Atal with his very first delivery. He maintained his impressive form, claiming the vital wicket of Ibrahim Zadran for just 5 runs in the fifth over.
Despite a solid effort from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan continued to falter, with Gulbadin Naib failing to make a significant contribution before being dismissed for 16 runs.
Bangladesh’s spin attack, led by Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain, proved superior to Afghanistan’s. Nasum delivered an economical spell of 4 overs for just 11 runs, taking two crucial wickets, while Rishad also picked up two wickets for 18 runs from his four overs. Earlier in the match, Afghanistan’s star spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad had similarly impressed, restricting Bangladesh with figures of 2/26 and 2/23 respectively.
The foundation of Bangladesh’s innings was laid by opener Tanzid Hasan’s explosive 52 runs off merely 31 balls. His strong partnership with Saif Hassan, who contributed 30 runs, saw Bangladesh reach a solid 87 for one at the halfway stage.
However, Afghanistan’s bowling unit, spearheaded by their skilled spinners and supported by Azmatullah Omarzai, managed to rein in Bangladesh’s scoring with precise bowling and clever variations.
Tanzid Hasan’s aggressive style was evident early on, as he smacked four boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi in the third over, even after narrowly surviving a close leg-before wicket appeal.
Saif Hassan signaled his intentions with a powerful six against AM Ghazanfar, and Tanzid continued the assault, hitting two more spectacular maximums off the same Afghan spinner in the sixth over.
Afghanistan’s captain, Rashid Khan, eventually broke the dangerous opening partnership with a perfectly pitched low delivery that outfoxed Saif’s sweep shot and crashed into the off-stump.
While Bangladesh managed to maintain a healthy scoring rate up to the tenth over, they gradually succumbed to the mounting pressure from Afghanistan’s spinners, who bowled with remarkable discipline, maintaining tight lines and lengths to limit scoring opportunities.