Riding on a fifty from Towhid Hridoy Bangladesh scored 169 runs in the rain interrupted first match of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on Wednesday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
Due to the interruption, the match reduced to 43 overs and Afghanistan set for a revised target (DLS) 164 runs in 43 overs to win the match.
Bangladesh after being sent to bat first could manage to score 169 runs in in the rain interrupted stipulated 43 overs’ match.
Afghanistan was batting with 52 runs from 14 overs without any loss till filling this report.
Afghanistan won the toss and bowled first, as might be the memories of that hurt of 546 runs defeat in the Test match some 17 days back that lost powered them. This time, on Tuesday the captain Hashmatullah may could read weather of the Port City into submission that it is the monsoon season here in Bangladesh and it would be a better bowling conditions.
Afghan bowlers kept Bangladesh on a restraint for 112 for five by 23.5 overs to justify the captain’s decision picking up three top order batters and ultimately booked the hosts on 169 runs for nine wickets.
The Afghan bowlers, following the early breakthrough with taking Tamim Iqbal cheaply for 13 along with Litton Das and the inform bats Nazmul Hossain Shanto, demolished the middle order sending back all-rounder Shakib Al Hassan and the most dependable Mushfiqur Rahim in quick successions, as Tigers reduced to 112 for five.
However, Tamim Iqbal, who was ruled out during one off Test against Afghanistan due to abdomen pain and determined to play, as he intent to participate in the first match of the three-match series at his home ground despite fitness concerns when he was not 100 percent fit.
The dashing opener Tamim could not stay on the crease for a long, as he did not look comfort when the captain paid the price trying to play a rising ball with an angled bat off Fazallah Farooqi for 13 runs but it edged past to wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz to be a gifted wicket for the bowler.
Litton Das, another hard hitter bat lost his patient and backed to the pavilion for a paltry 26 off 35 balls with two fours and a six. Litton gifted his wicket with mistiming to a Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s a delivery down leg and the batter pulled it straight to the deep-backward square where Rahmat Shah was ready to have an easy catch.
The Afghan bowlers continued their approaches with Rashid Khan and Farooqi wrested the momentum back to strike in regular intervals with claiming wickets of Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hassan in a span of 37 runs and sending back Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hassan Miraz for single digit.
Nazmul got out for only 12 and Shakib could manage to score 15 runs when Mushfique, Afif and Miraz contributed just one, four and five runs respectively before being out.
Towhid Hridoy, who just showed some resistance with a lovely52 runs innings against the disaster, saw Shakib, Mushfique, Afif and Miraz left him in short intervals.
The rain started again just after Taskin joining Hridoy but by this time team lost seven wickets for 144 runs by 34.3 overs when there needed too much extra motivation to turn up, but the fall off wickets remained as the bowlers kept their perfect line and length.
The enders, Taskin and Mustafiz accompanied by Hrody added 15 runs, as Tigers could amassed 169 runs for nine.
Meanwhile, Litton and Shanto scored the highest partnership with 35 runs following 30 runs between Tamim and Litton in the opening partnership.
