Rashid Khan was the star both with both bat and ball on his birthday driving Afghanistan to a 136-run victory upon Bangladesh on Thursday in the Asia Cup. Chasing 256, Bangladesh never really got going as they lost wickets at regular interims. Openers Liton Das (6) and Nazmul Hossain Shanto (7) were sent back ahead of schedule to the pavilion by the Afghan bowlers. Shakib Al Hasan (32) gave Bangladesh a promise of something better however not for long as he departed in the 24th over when the batsman was expelled LBW by Rashid Khan.
On the back of their late batting fireworks, Afghanistan scored 97 runs from the last 10 overs and that had the effect in the result of the match which, in any case, was rendered insignificant as the two sides have effectively made it to the Super Four phase from Group B.
Afterward, Rashid indicated why he is viewed as a chief leg-spinner on the planet by taking two significant wickets, that of Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah, the two most experienced players in the Bangladesh side without any semblance of past match centurion Mushfiqur Rahim.
Shakib Al Hasan (32) and Mahmudullah (27) were the best scorers for Bangladesh and Rashid asserted their wickets with two jewels of conveyances to break the foundation of their run pursue. Bangladesh, in the end, were hard and fast for only 119 of every 42.1 overs.
Afghanistan will enter the Super Four phase with certainty in the wake of having won both their gathering matches. They play Pakistan in a similar setting on Friday.
Pursuing 256 for a win on a moderate surface, Bangladesh battled from the earliest starting point with two wickets falling inside five overs and runs hard to get.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto (7), who made ODI make a big appearance Thursday, offered a main edge to point defender Aftab Alam of the knocking down some pins of off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the fourth finished. The following over, pacer Aftab Alam caught Liton Das (6) LBW with an inswing conveyance to decrease Bangladesh to 17 for 2.
Alam and Rahman knocked down some pins radiantly with a tight line and length. The runs were difficult to find for the Bangladesh batsmen, including experienced Shakib who chose to play a cat-and-mouse amusement in perspective of the shaky circumstance his group was in.
Toward the finish of 10 overs, Bangladesh were 31 for 2 and it resembled a tough errand to try and go close to the objective. The principal limit for Bangladesh came in the fifteenth over, and that occurred after another senior player Mahmudullah came in. Shakib and Mahmudullah attempted to manufacture the innings as they united for runs.
Truth be told, the entire of the Bangladesh innings had only five limits. Rashid was presented in the 22nd over and soon he broke the organization of Shakib and Mahmudullah in his second over itself. A level and brisk conveyance and Shakib was late to cut his bat down and the ball slid off to hit on the cushion directly before the center stump.
Whenever Shakib, who did not hit a solitary limit in his 55-ball 32, was out, Bangladesh were 79 for 5 at that point and gazing at an annihilation.
Prior, Rashid crushed an eminent unbeaten 50 years and shared 95 keeps running with Gulbadin Naib for the unconquered eighth wicket as Afghanistan made a shocking fightback to post an aggressive 255 for 7.
Picking to bat, Afghanistan were at first battling against a trained Bangladesh knocking down some pins assault driven by veteran left-arm spinner Shakib, who snatched four wickets for 42 runs, however, Rashid (57 not out) and Gulbadin (42 not out) turned the tables in the last 10 overs.
The couple included 97 keeps running in the last 10 overs with a whirlwind of limits which fixed all the before great work by the Bangladeshi bowlers. They met up in the 41st over at 160 for 7 and stayed unconquered till the end.
Rashid, one of the chief leg-spinners on the planet, assumed the job of the batting grapple for his side Thursday as he hit eight fours and one six in his 32-ball unbeaten innings. Gulbadin confronted 38 balls and hit five fours.
Rashid hit four limits in the last over rocked the bowling alley by Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza to end the innings in style with a four.
Hashmatullah Shahidi had kept the Afghans in the chase with a battling 92-ball 58 after his side were lessened to 28 for 2 in the 6th over itself. Wickets fell around Shahidi with just opener Mohammad Shahzad (37), with whom he sewed 51 keeps running for the third wicket, making some commitment.
Afghanistan crossed the 100 run precisely at the midway stage, however, Shakib was just improving as he knocked down some pins out Afghanistan chief Asghar Afghan (8) who was beaten by the trip of the conveyance and drove the wrong line to see his stumps removed. Shakib at that point added another wicket to his kitty in the 34th over by having Samiullah Shenwari (18) to decrease Afghanistan to 239 for 5.
Shahidi was holding one end together all these while however, he was additionally out in the 38th over as he edged a Rubel Hossain conveyance to the wicketkeeper for a delicate rejection.
At 160 for 7 in the 41st over, it appeared that Afghanistan would battle to try and achieve 200, however, Rashid and Gulbadin had different thoughts.
