Bangladesh did not care about Afghanistan in their last match in the group stage of the Asia Cup. The Tigers won by a huge margin of 89 runs with the excellent bowling of Taskin-Shariful after Miraj-Shantar century. As a result, Shakib Bahini was in an advantageous position in the race to reach the Super Four in the Asia Cup.
The Bangladesh team scored 334 runs for 5 wickets in the scheduled 50 overs at the beginning of the match. In response, the Afghans’ innings stopped at just 245 runs.
Chasing runs in a high-scoring match, Afghanistan lost opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the second over. Gurbaz scored 1 run before being dismissed by Shariful. 78 runs came in the second wicket pair. Rahmat Shah was dismissed for 33 runs off 57 balls.
Meanwhile, opener Ibrahim Zadran continued to fight with team leader Hasmatullah Shahidi in the third wicket pair. Both picked up half-centuries. Ibrahim was out for 75 runs from 74 balls. And Shahidi scored 51 runs off 60 balls. 17 runs came from the bat of Najibullah Jadran.
Besides Gulbadin 15, Karim 1, Nabi 3, Mujib 4 and Rashid Khan scored 24 runs. And Fazalhaq Farooqui remains unbeaten by 1 run.
Taskin Ahmed took maximum four wickets for Bangladesh. Shariful Islam took three wickets. Mehdi Hasan Miraj and Hasan Mahmud took one wicket each.
Earlier, Bangladesh team leader Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and decided to bat at the beginning of the match in Lahore. Two openers Mohammad Naeem Sheikh and Mehdi Hasan Miraj gave Bangladesh a flying start when they came to bat. Both scored 60 runs in the first 10 overs. Naeem got out after scoring 28 runs off 32 balls.
Tawheed Hriday could not do justice to his name by going down to the second wicket. He could not get any run after playing 2 balls.
However, opener Mehdi Hasan Miraj and left-handed batsman Nazmul Hossain Shanto batted brilliantly for the third wicket. The two made an unstoppable partnership of 194 runs. Both scored centuries after reaching their fifties. Mirage retired after 112 runs off 119 balls. And Shanto scored 104 off 105 balls before being run out.
Meanwhile, Mushfiqur Rahim was run out after scoring 25 runs off 15 balls. Anointed Shamim Patwari scored 10 runs off 6 balls. And Shakib remained unbeaten on 32 runs off 18 balls and Afif on 4 runs off 3 balls.
(03 September/MM)