Khairul Alam: Bangladesh suffered a crushing 92-run defeat to Afghanistan in the first match of the three-match ODI series in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Despite a promising partnership between Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar, Bangladesh’s batting lineup crumbled under the pressure of Afghan bowlers, leading to another disappointing loss.
Afghanistan, having won the toss and chosen to bat first, posted a total of 235 runs.
In response, Bangladesh was bowled out for just 143 runs in 34.3 overs, losing their last 8 wickets for only 23 runs, including a staggering 7 wickets lost in the final 11 runs.
The collapse was largely due to the brilliant spin bowling of Afghanistan’s 18-year-old Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who claimed 6 wickets for just 26 runs, a career-best performance.
Ghazanfar had taken only 4 wickets in his previous 5 ODIs, but his devastating spell decimated Bangladesh’s batting order.
He started by dismissing Tamim Iqbal in the fourth over and then picked up key wickets as Bangladesh’s top-order crumbled.
Apart from Ghazanfar, Rashid Khan also caused problems, with Bangladesh’s middle-order unable to handle his leg-spin.
Mahmudullah Riyad and Tawhid Hridoy were both bowled out in a manner suggesting they were facing leg-spin for the first time.
In Afghanistan’s innings, Mohammad Nabi and Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 104-run stand for the sixth wicket helped them recover from a precarious 71 for 5.
Shahidi scored 52 before being bowled out by Mustafizur Rahman, while Nabi’s aggressive 84 (79 balls, 4 boundaries, 3 sixes) anchored the innings.
Despite a late resistance from Nangyalai Kharaat, who scored 27*, Afghanistan finished their innings on 235, with Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed each picking up 4 wickets.
Bangladesh’s chase started poorly, losing Tamim Iqbal early and despite some resistance from Shanto and Soumya, who added 53 runs together, they were unable to form any significant partnerships.
Soumya was dismissed for 33, while Shanto top-scored with 47 runs.
Bangladesh’s batting collapse continued as they lost wickets at regular intervals, with Rashid Khan and Ghazanfar wreaking havoc.
Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, and others failed to make an impact, and Bangladesh was all out for just 143, handing Afghanistan a comprehensive 92-run victory.
This heavy defeat leaves Bangladesh with much to ponder as they head into the next two matches of the series.