Al Hasan excelled with both the bat and ball
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Bangladesh were given a run for their money by Afghanistan in the first ODI in Dhaka, but managed to clinch a seven-run win.
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh were dealt a major blow on the fifth ball of the match as opener Soumya Sarkar was dismissed by Dawlat Zadran for a duck.
Bangladesh recovered from their early setback as Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes amassed an 83-run partnership before Kayes was clean bowled by Mohammad Nabi for 37.
Iqbal and Mahmudullah kept the runs flowing with a 79-run stand, during which Iqbal brought up his fifty, before he was dismissed by Mirwais Ashraf for 80 off 98 balls, which included nine boundaries.
Iqbal scored his 33rd ODI fifty
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Mahmudullah ended up making 62 off 74 deliveries, which included five boundaries and two sixes, before he was sent packing by Nabi.
Mahmudullah raises his bat after bringing up his fifty
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Bangladesh began to collapse after Mahmudullah’s dismissal, but thanks to Shakib Al Hasan’s quickfire 48, Bangladesh managed to make 265 before they were bowled out.
Zadran was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Nabi and Rashid Khan snapped up two wickets apiece. Ashraf and debutant Naveen-ul-Haq, meanwhile, chipped in with one wicket each.
Chasing 266 to win, Afghanistan got off to a solid start before Mohammad Shahzad and Shabir Noori were dismissed for 31 and nine runs respectively.
Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi steered the innings back in the right direction with a 144-run partnership, during which both batsmen recorded their fifties, before Rahmat was stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim off the bowling of Al Hasan for 71 off 93 balls, which included two boundaries and three sixes.
Shahidi ended up making a career-best 72 off 110 deliveries which included six boundaries before he was removed by Taijul Islam.
Rahmat (left) and Shahidi (right) both made half-centuries
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
After Shahidi was back in the pavilion, Afghanistan began to crumble as they went from 210/4 to being bowled out for 258.
Taskin Ahmed was responsible for most of the damage as he speared through Afghanistan’s middle and lower order with four wickets.
As a result, Taskin finished as the top wicket-taker for Bangladesh, while Al Hasan and captain Mashrafe Mortaza took two wickets apiece. Taijul and Rubel Hossain, meanwhile, claimed one wicket each.
Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai was gutted to have come up agonisingly short of victory, and said: “Congratulations to Bangladesh. The bowlers bowled very well, that’s why they won the match. Rashid and Naveen restricted Bangladesh. At one stage they looked at 280-290. At the end, we played some poor shots.”
Mortaza was relieved to have won, and said: “Afghanistan played really well, our catching was costing us. Later on, Shakib and Taskin were good with the ball. Last three months we were working hard, but the way we played we were not up to the mark. We could have scored 280-plus, but the set batsmen got out. Taskin has just recovered from the tests, Rubel is coming from injury. This match will boost them up.”
Al Hasan was named Man of the Match, and said: “We knew this game was going to be tricky. We are playing ODIs after almost a year. We were careful and short by 20 runs. The spinners bowled really well and were exceptional. The roles is the team is to take the game to the end. Tamim played a brilliant knock, Imrul started well.”