Gurbaz, Rahmat Fifties Powers Afghanistan to a Commanding Win Over Bangladesh in the 1st ODI

Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh by 5 wickets in the 1st ODI at Abu Dhabi. They chased down the target inside the 48 overs with complete ease. It was relatively a low score by Bangladesh that eventually allowed Afghanistan to register the first win in the series. Their star batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah played a pivotal role in the chase by scoring timely fifties.

Batting first, Bangladesh didn’t have a good start. They lost two important wickets in the Powerplay that gave Afghanistan a solid impetus at the start of the game. Saif Hassan, who made his ODI debut in today’s game, also couldn’t do much at the start. He too lost his wicket in the 12th over after scoring just 26 runs.

The middle-order batter, Towhid Hridoy, gave some respite to the Bangladesh dugout by playing cautiously during the middle overs. He made sure to build a steady partnership with Mehidy Hasan Miraz to prevent Bangladesh from losing more wickets in that phase. Both batters played brilliantly after absorbing the pressure, making the scoreboard rotate steadily without facing more hiccups.

Towhid Hridoy scored 56 off 85 balls, whereas Mehidy Hasan Miraz made 60 by smashing 2 boundaries. Both batters looked well set at the crease until Towhid was run out after a terrible mix-up in the middle. This unfortunate run-out broke the momentum of the Bangladesh innings, as Mehidy Hasan Miraz also lost his wicket quickly in the 39th over.

Once these two batters got out, the Bangladesh batting innings went into disarray. They started to lose wickets one after another, as Afghanistan came back into the game with a strong bowling plan.

As a result, Bangladesh got bowled out and only managed to score 221 at the end of the 1st innings. It was definitely a low score compared to the average total teams usually produce in Abu Dhabi.

When Afghanistan came out to bat, they had a set plan for batting. They played cautiously from the start of the innings, as the batting of the Afghan team was under a bit of pressure. Rahmanullah Gurbaz made sure not to throw his wicket this time, as Afghanistan needed him in the middle. He played a strong knock in today’s match by scoring 50 off 76 balls.

Alongside Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah also showcased his experience by playing sensibly in today’s match. He wore down the Bangladesh bowling attack by rotating the strike smartly. Due to this innings, Afghanistan built a strong base that allowed other batters to play aggressively at the end of the innings. Rahmat Shah eventually got out in the 31st over after scoring 50 off just 70 balls.

The platform laid by Gurbaz and Rahmat allowed the lower order of Afghanistan to complete the chase comfortably. It was relatively a small target, which helped Afghanistan to steer the batting innings smoothly. In the end, they won the match by five wickets, registering their first victory on a tour that had remained winless until now.