Bangladesh Edges Afghanistan to Keep Asia Cup Dream Alive

The Group B clash between Bangladesh and Afghanistan went to the wire, as the Tigers ultimately came out as winners. It was a game of nerves because the target was not quite big. The chase of 154 was always tricky, and Bangladesh ensured to make that happen to keep their tournament hopes alive.

They played with passion, knowing fully that the Afghan team could falter in the chase should they lose wickets in the middle overs.

At the start of the toss, which Bangladesh won, both captains said that they wanted to bat first. The condition of the pitch at that time looked conducive for batting.

The opening pair of Bangladesh team also showcased why they chose batting. Both Tanzid and Saif played aggressively during the Powerplay, knowing that the ball was coming to the bat nicely. Due to their aggressive batting, Bangladesh made 59 in the Powerplay without losing any wickets.

But, once the Powerplay finished, and spinners came on, Bangladesh batters showcased traditional flaws. They struggled to pick Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad during the middle overs. This proved fatal for them, as the pressure applied by Afghan spinners resulted in regular wickets.

The momentum built by Tanzid and Saif at the start went in vain. Afghanistan took advantage of the situation and kept on applying pressure to squeeze Bangladesh batters during the middle overs. Both Rashid and Noor got two wickets, giving other bowlers also room to put breaks on Bangladesh batters.

At the end of the 1st innings, Bangladesh scored just 154 runs in 20 overs. It was definitely a low total given how the Tigers were earlier looking to go big at the death. Afghanistan also thought it would be an easy chase, but things then changed in the second innings.

When Afghanistan came out to bat, Nasum Ahmed came out roaring at them with the first-ball wicket. The young Afghan batter, Sediqullah Atal, had to go back to the pavilion as fast as he came out to bat.

This was an early shock that choked the opening plans of Afghanistan. The incoming batter, Ibrahim Zadran, never looked comfortable against the likes of Taskin and Nasum in the Powerplay. He also fell cheaply to Nasum Ahmed after making just 5 off 12 balls.

After that, Afghanistan didn’t find any momentum in the game. They kept building pressure on themselves by playing dot balls. Due to this, Gulbadin Naib also fell cheaply to Rishad Hossain. The wickets then kept on falling, making runs-scoring difficult for Afghan batters.

Coming to the last over, Afghanistan needed 22 from 6 balls. Their main batters were out, but Noor Ahmed showed some grit by spanking two big sixes. However, Bangladesh held their nerve and got rid of Noor Ahmed on the last ball. They finally won the match by 8 runs, making sure to keep their tournament hopes well and truly alive.