Afghanistan proved its cricketing mettle recently through a historic victory over Bangladesh in the latter’s hometown in the first of five ODI matches. The game, held at a neutral venue in Ghazi Stadium, Kabul, saw Afghanistan bat first and post 226 runs to win the match. They were all out for 226 in 47.1 overs.
The squad’s dominant execution on both sides of the ball was highlighted by standout efforts from a host of players. Wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz was pivotal, too, making an aggressive half-century. Joining him, Rahmat Shah played an equally important knock of 50 runs, proving his batting prowess in the high-pressure innings. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal were equally fragile, departing for 23 and 5 runs respectively in lightning quick time.
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi saw them over the line with a measured 33 not out, providing calm assurance in the closing stages. Azmatullah Omarzai then struck a useful 40 runs to bolster their total. Skipper Mohammad Nabi was able to stabilize the innings towards the end and finished not out with 11 runs. It was a reflection of the group’s batting depth that proved enough to keep them in the match with an impressive score.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz led Bangladesh’s brilliant bowling display with a monster return of 7-58. He bowled a full quota of 10 overs and picked key wickets in middle and death overs. Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud both bowled 8 overs for an aggressive and pace-heavy attack while Tanzim Hasan Sakib was handed 7 overs. Other bowlers, like Saif Hossain and Najmul Hossain Shanto stepped up to support the bowling team.
And even though Bangladesh will point to some fight shown by their batters, they were a long way from competing with Afghanistan’s total. Nurul Hasan Sohan, serving as Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper, had a challenging day as their batting lineup struggled against Afghanistan’s bowlers.
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