Farooqi gives the spark as Afghanistan beat Bangladesh within the rain

Afghanistan 83 for two (Ibrahim 41*, Shakib 1-9) beat Bangladesh 169 for 9 (Hridoy 51, Farooqi 3-24) by 17 runs (DLS methodology)

In between three rain breaks, Afghanistan sneaked a positive bowling efficiency to beat Bangladesh by 17 runs, to take a 1-0 lead within the ODI collection. Play was suspended in Chattogram for a complete of three hours and quarter-hour, decreasing the sport to 43-overs-a-side. But even that wasn’t doable. A last downpour at 9.33pm pressured the gamers off the sector with the guests on 83 for two in 21.4 overs, and since that was 17 runs greater than the DLS par rating at that time of the innings, they have been declared the winners.

The groundstaff of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, who have been tireless in peeling and unpeeling the big tarps that coated a lot of the 30-yard circle to guard it from the rain, deserve excessive reward. Credit also needs to go to the close to capability crowd that struck round for a lot of the recreation, regardless of there being little or no overhead cowl on the floor. They needed to scamper to the staircases to avoid wasting themselves from the rain that swept in from south.

The gamers they got here to see although did not do them any favours. Merely flattered to deceive.

Because other than Tamim Iqbal’s dismissal within the seventh over, Bangladesh have been really going at an excellent tempo within the first 20 overs. Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto promised loads of runs, hitting 5 boundaries, together with a six. But once they fell inside six balls of one another – Litton timing a pull straight to deep sq. leg and Shanto top-edging a sweep to quick positive leg – Bangladesh began to decelerate.

With Shakib Al Hasan targeted on seeing out a couple of overs, Afghanistan took benefit. The fourth wicket added simply 37 runs in 65 balls, and whereas the slowdown was essential as a result of first rain break, after 15.1 overs of play, it in the end price Bangladesh.

Shakib laboured to fifteen off 37 balls – his slowest ODI innings in eight years (min 30 balls) – earlier than Nabi had him caught at cowl. Rashid eliminated Mushfiqur Rahim for the tenth time in aggressive cricket, a half-tracker slipping via the batter’s legs, glancing the internal thigh and hitting the stumps. Afghanistan’s legspin ace additionally acquired Afif Hossain lbw, with a bit of assist from DRS, and when Farooqi returned to take out Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s batting was a freefall.

After one other rain break, Taskin fell lbw to Mujeeb earlier than Towhid grew to become Farooqi’s third wicket of the day. Mustafizur Rahman dead-batting what turned out to be the final over of the innings raised a couple of laughs however primarily it simply summed up Bangladesh’s turgid batting effort, particularly within the final 20 overs once they may solely handle three runs an over.

It wasn’t that Afghanistan did not supply Bangladesh probabilities. Mujeeb dropped a return catch from Shanto on 10. Wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz dropped Hridoy when he was 16 off the identical bowler, whereas within the final over, Rashid dropped Hasan Mahmud, although that final one did not actually matter a lot.

Afghanistan additionally took a watchful method to their 164-run chase. Openers Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran struck simply 4 boundaries between them as they added 54 runs in 15.3 overs earlier than Shanto had Gurbaz caught at quick midwicket. He made 22 off 45 balls with only one 4.

Taskin then had Rahmat Shah caught at slip the place Litton took an excellent low catch. Ibrahim ended up not out on 41 off 58 balls with 5 fours. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi accompanied him when the third rain break got here, unbeaten on 9 off 13 balls.