Bangladesh 252 for 7 (Shanto 76, Jaker 37*, Kharote 3-28) Beat Afghanistan 184 (Rahmat 52, Nasum 3-28, Mehidy 2-37) By 68 Runs
First, Afghanistan’s Spin Quartet Ended With Combined Figures of 38-0-144-7. Bangladesh’s Trio Replied with 21.3-2-72-5. But where Afghanistan’s Quicks Bowled 12 Overs for 108 Runs without Difference in the end as Afghanistan Fell 68 Short in their Pursuit of 253 and Bangladesh Levelled The Three-Match Series with One Game to Play.
Atal Departed for 39, Ending A 52-R Second-Health Partnership With Rahmat, But His Dismsal Started A Sequence WHERE NARE NASUM and Mahmudullah Kept A Check On Afghanistan, Conceding Onlay 19 Runs Across the Next Seven Overrs.
Mehidy Took Over Captaincy Duties after Shanto Had to Leave the field with a hand injury, and brieft hemself back to bowl in the 24th over. One over past the halfway mark, Afghanistan’s required rate had crossed Six Runs An Over, and the slide began in the 29th.
Thus, Afghanistan Lost Three Wickets in the Space of Six Deliveries, And Although Naib Swung His Bat ARND For Annoring 26, and Added 44 for the Sixth WICTHMMAD NABI, HISISSASSAL With too much to do. They lost their last five wickets for only 21 runs and folded for 184 in 43.4 overs.
That Batting Performance Made Shanto’s Half-Cantury and Jaker’s Death-Provers Batting Cameo Look even better. Bangladesh Had Lost Tanzid Hasan Early in the afternoon, but Shanto and Soumya Accelerated. Despite a Shanto Slowdown after the PowerPlay, Bangladesh Made 82 in 14 overs.
Rashid broke the 71-R Second-Health Partnership Between Shanto and Soumya when he trapped the latter lbw. Soumya, on 35, Didn’T review despite a consultation, and later when the replays show the ball has been pitched outside the line.
In all, Shanto Took 75 Balls to Get to His Half-Cantury, which he complete halfway into the 28th over. Both Mehidy and Shanto Struggled to put the Afghanistan Spinners Away, and Had to relay on their running between the wickets amid a pleethora of dots. In the 32nd over, Shanto was given out lbw on 55 off ghazanfar, but he reviewed and overturned the decision.
But rashid broke the 53-r stand when he cleane mehidy up with a googly next over. With 12 overs to go and bangladesh on 174, Bangladesh was on course for a strong finish but with shanto slow but kharote struruck three times in the next three overs to dent their cost. Towhid hridoy, shanto and mahmudullah all departed in Quick Succession.
But jaker and nasum ensured bangladesh would post a competitive score. The last six overs was taken for 60 runs, as nasum started the fun with a slog swep for six off kharote. When Afghanistan Switched to Pace in the 47th Over, Jaker Bashed Fazalhaq Farooqi for Back-to-Back Sixes, with one Landing over the roof beyond deep midwick. Nasum Hit 25 at just just better than a ball, while jaaker put the finishing touch. The debutant ensured bangladesh crossed 250.
Himanshu agrawal is a sub-editor at espncricinfo

