Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: A Thrilling Encounter in Asia Cup 2023
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: The Asia Cup 2023 is underway in Pakistan, and the cricket fans are witnessing some exciting matches between the top teams of the continent. One of the most anticipated clashes was between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who faced each other on Sunday, September 3, 2023, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Both teams had a lot at stake in this match, as they were fighting for a spot in the Super Four stage of the tournament. Bangladesh had lost their opening match against Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 137 runs, while Afghanistan had won their first match against Hong Kong by seven wickets.
The match turned out to be a high-scoring affair, with Bangladesh posting a mammoth total of 334/5 in 50 overs, thanks to brilliant centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Afghanistan put up a spirited chase, but fell short by 89 runs, as Bangladesh bowlers Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed picked up three wickets each.
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at how the match unfolded, and what were the key moments that decided the outcome.
Bangladesh’s Batting Masterclass
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and opted to bat first, hoping to put up a big score on the board. He made a surprising move by promoting Mehidy Hasan Miraz to open the innings with Liton Das, instead of his regular partner Tamim Iqbal.
The move paid off handsomely, as Mehidy and Liton gave Bangladesh a solid start, adding 71 runs for the first wicket in 13.4 overs. Liton was the first to depart, caught behind off Naveen-ul-Haq for 34.
Najmul Hossain Shanto joined Mehidy at the crease, and the duo took the attack to the Afghan bowlers. They played some exquisite shots all around the ground, and kept the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace.
Mehidy reached his maiden ODI hundred in the 34th over, off 108 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. He became the first Bangladeshi batsman to score a century as an opener in Asia Cup history.
Shanto followed suit in the next over, completing his second ODI hundred off 101 balls, with eight fours and four sixes. He became the youngest Bangladeshi batsman to score a century in Asia Cup history.
The pair added a record-breaking 224 runs for the second wicket, which is the highest partnership for any wicket in Asia Cup history. They also became the first Bangladeshi pair to score centuries in the same ODI innings.
However, their partnership came to an unfortunate end in the 40th over, when Shanto was run out for 104, trying to steal a quick single. Mehidy also retired hurt soon after, due to cramps, for a magnificent 112.
Bangladesh did not lose any momentum despite losing their set batsmen, as Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim added 48 runs in just 5.2 overs. Shakib played a cameo of 32 not out off 18 balls, while Mushfiqur scored 23 off 16 balls.
Bangladesh finished their innings at a massive total of 334/5 in 50 overs, which is their highest score in Asia Cup history. They also became the first team to score more than 300 runs against Afghanistan in ODIs.
Afghanistan’s Valiant Chase
Afghanistan had a daunting task ahead of them, as they needed to chase down 335 runs to win the match. They needed a good start from their openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, but they lost Gurbaz early for just one run, caught by Mushfiqur off Shoriful Islam.
Rahmat Shah joined Ibrahim at the crease, and they steadied the innings with a sensible partnership of 78 runs for the second wicket. They played some elegant strokes and rotated the strike well.
However, their stand was broken by Taskin Ahmed in the 19th over, when he bowled Rahmat for 33. This brought Hashmatullah Shahidi to the middle, who joined forces with Ibrahim to keep Afghanistan in the hunt.
Ibrahim was particularly aggressive, as he took on the Bangladeshi bowlers with confidence. He reached his half-century off just 49 balls, with six fours and two sixes.
He looked set for a big score, but his innings was cut short by a stunning catch by Mushfiqur behind the stumps off Shakib’s bowling. He departed for a well-made 75 off 74 balls.
Hashmatullah then took charge of the chase, and found some support from Asghar Afghan, who scored 28 off 25 balls. Hashmatullah completed his fifty off 54 balls, and kept Afghanistan’s hopes alive.
However, he too fell in the 39th over, caught by Liton off Shoriful for 51. This triggered a collapse in the Afghan batting line-up, as they lost their last five wickets for just 32 runs.
Shoriful and Taskin were the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers, as they finished with three wickets each. Shakib and Mehidy also chipped in with two wickets each.
Afghanistan were bowled out for 245 in 44.3 overs, losing the match by 89 runs. Bangladesh registered their first win of the tournament, and kept their chances of qualifying for the Super Four stage alive.
Bangladesh Score:-https://twitter.com/ACCMedia1?s=09
Batting Runs
M. Naim – 28 – (B)Mujeeb Ur Rahman
M. Hasan – 112 – retired hurt
T. Hridoy – 0 – (C) Ibrahim Zadran (B) Gulbadin
N. Shanto – 104 – run out (Najibullah Zadran)
M. Rahim – 25 – run out (Hashmatullah Shahidi)
S. Al Hasan -32- not out
S. Hossain – 11 – run out (Karim Janat)
A. Hossain. – 4 – not out
Extras :- – 18 (W 12, LB 6)
Total runs :- – 334 (5 wkts, 50 ov)
Yet to bat :-
Shoriful Islam · Taskin Ahmed · Hasan Mahmud
Fall of wickets :-
60/1 (M. Naim, 9.6 ov)
63/2 (T. Hridoy, 10.3 ov)
278/3 (N. Shanto, 44.3 ov)
294/4 (M. Rahim, 46.3 ov)
324/5 (S. Hossain, 48.6 ov)
Bowling :-
Overs Runs Wickets
F. Farooqi 6 53 0
MU. Rahman 10 62 1
G. Naib. 8 58 1
K. Janat 6 39 0
M. Nabi 10 50 0
R. Khan 10 66 0
———-_———–__
Afghanistan Score:-
Batting Runs
R. Gurbaz – 01 – lbw (B) Shoriful Islam
I. Zadran – 75- (C) Mushfiqur (B)H. Mahmud
R. Shah – 33 – (B) Taskin Ahmed
H. Shahidi – 51 – (C) H.Mahmud (B) S. Islam
N. Zadran – 17 – (B) Mehidy Hasan
M. Nabi – 03 – (C) Afif Hossain (B)T. Ahmed
G. Naib – 15 – (B) Shoriful Islam
K. Janat – 01 – run out (subs)
R. Khan – 24 – (C) S.A Hasan (B) T. Ahmed
M. U. Rahman – 04 – hit wicket (B) Taskin Ahmed
F. Farooqi -01- not out
Extras :- – 20 (W 17, LB 3)
Total runs :- 245 (10 wkts, 44.3 ovr)
Fall of wickets
1/1 (R. Gurbaz, 1.4 ov)
79/2 (R. Shah, 17.5 ov)
131/3 (I. Zadran, 27.3 ov)
193/4 (N. Zadran, 36.1 ov)
196/5 (H. Shahidi, 37.2 ov)
212/6 (G. Naib, 39.6 ov)
214/7 (M. Nabi, 40.2 ov)
221/8 (K. Janat, 41.4 ov)
244/9 (M. U. Rahman, 44.1 ov)
245/10 (R. Khan, 44.3 ov)
Bowling Overs Runs Wickets
T. Ahmed 8.3 44 4
S. Islam 9 36 3
H. Mahmud 9 61 1
S. Al Hasan 8 44 0
A. Hossain 1 6 0
M. Hasan 8 41 1
S. Hossain 1 10 0
Conclusion
The match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan was a thrilling encounter, which showcased some brilliant batting and bowling performances from both sides. Bangladesh proved their mettle as a strong ODI team, while Afghanistan showed their fighting spirit and potential.
The match also witnessed some record-breaking feats, such as the highest partnership and individual scores in Asia Cup history, and the first instance of two Bangladeshi batsmen scoring centuries in the same ODI innings.
The match was a treat for the cricket fans, who enjoyed every moment of the action-packed contest. Bangladesh vs Afghanistan was one of the highlights of the Asia Cup 2023, and will be remembered for a long time.https://gamingpur.com/india-vs-pakistan-in-asia-cup-thrilling-encounter/