Bangladesh registered the three-match one –day international series victory by 2-1 margin against Afghanistan with a massive 141 runs win in the 3rd match of their first-ever bilateral series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.
Bangladesh took the series lead with a seven-run victory in the 1st match on September 25 while Afghanistan levelled the series upsetting the Test playing hosts by two wickets on September 28.
In the day’s match, replying to 279/8, the visiting Afghanistan finished the innings at 138 for all in 33.5 overs with Rahmat Shah’s top-scoring 36 off 73 balls, including one boundary.
Nawroz Mangal scored 33 while Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan and Samiullah Shenwari added 26, 17 and 13 runs respectively.
Losing five wickets — Samiullah Shenwari, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Najibullah Zadran — the visitors collected 49 runs in 9.1 overs (from 83/5 in 22.5 overs to 132/9 in 32.2 overs).
Returning in the international cricket after eight years, slow left arm orthodox bowler Mosharraf Hossain shown brilliant performance bagging three wickets for 24 runs in eight overs.
Mosharraf last played in international arena for the Tigers in March 2008 against Zimbabwe and reopened his account in his 3rd over spell of this ODI dismissing Nawroz Mangal (33 off 38 balls) at Afghans 52/2 in 13.3 overs. Later, he bagged Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi.
Young speed-star Taskin Ahmed dismissed Samiullah Shenwari and Rahmat Shah for 31 runs in seven overs.
Limited over skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza made the first breakthrough in the Afghanistan batting castle dismissing opener Mohammad Shahzad at 5/1 in 2.1 overs. Mashrafee bowled out Shahzad to send him back for duck when Nawroz Mangal was batting on 4 runs.
Batting first after winning the toss, Bangladesh scored 279/8 spurred by dashing opening batsman Tamim Iqbal’s century.
The Tigers posted the total playing 50 overs riding on the 2nd wicket partnership of 140 runs in 24.4 overs between centurion Tamim and Sabbir Rahman.
The 2nd pair started from 23/1 in 5.5 overs and broke at 163/2 in 30.3 overs with Sabbir Rahman’s dismissal as he was caught by Nawroz Mangal off Rahmat Shah’s bowling. Sabbir scored 65 off 79 balls that witnessed six boundaries and three sixes.
Tamim featured 11 boundaries and two sixes to score run-a-ball 118 and was caught by substitute player Naveen-ul-Haq off Mohammad Nabi’s bowling at 212/3 in 38.4 overs.
Tamim, who was adjudged man of the match, and man-of-the-series, completed his 7th ODI century mission with a single run off Dawlat Zadran’s bowling when the Tigers were batting on 189/2 in 36.1 overs. Tamim faced 109 balls and featured 10 boundaries to reach century runs mark.
After Tamim, Bangladesh’s middle order faced quick batting collapse losing three wickets — Sakib al Hasan (17), Mushfiqur Rahim (12) and Mosaddek Hossain (4) — within a span of 11 balls to collect 9 runs (from 226/4 in 42.1 overs to 235/6 in 43.5 overs).
Mahmudullah played till the end to add unbeaten 32 off 22 balls with four boundaries while Shafiul Islam remained unbeaten on 2.
Opening batsman Soumya Sarkar disappointed his fans departing early at Bangladesh’s 23/1 in 5.5 overs. He was out for run-a-ball 11 with a boundary being caught by Mohammad Shahzad off Mirwais Ashraf bowling.
Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mirwais Ashraf bagged two wickets each for 39 and 41 and 43 runs, all bowling 10 overs apiece. Dawlat Zadran and Rahmat Shah took one wicket each for Afghanistan.
However, the 279/8 is Bangladesh’s highest score against ICC associate Afghanistan among their five ODI meetings as they (Tigers’) earlier scored 208/10 and 265/10 in the 2nd and 1st match of the series while 222/10 in Asia Cup and 267/10 in World Cup.
In their previous two ODI meetings, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by 105 runs in the World Cup 2015, but lost by 32 runs in the first instance in Asia Cup in 2014.
