Bangladesh Sets 222 Target for Afghanistan in the 1st ODI at Abu Dhabi

Bangladesh has scored 221 runs against Afghanistan in the 1st ODI at Abu Dhabi. They didn’t have a great time with the bat in the first innings due to some smart bowling by Afghanistan. The early wickets taken by Nangeyalia Kharote and Azmatullah Omarzai put a lot of pressure on the Bangladesh batting. It kept their scoring rate low, allowing Afghanistan’s bowlers to control the game decisively. As a result, Bangladesh got bowled out in the end after making just 221 runs.

Batting first, Bangladesh were rocked back early when they lost two quick wickets in the Powerplay. Both Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto were sent back to the Pavilion in the early phase of the game. Their fall brought a lot of pressure on the Bangladesh batting lineup, as they failed to lift the momentum afterward.

However, Towhid Hridoy, who came out to bat at number 4, played a remarkable hand by steadying the innings. He made sure to play cautiously so that Afghanistan could not take more wickets during the middle overs. The batter scored a gritty 56 runs off 85 balls by smashing 1 four and 3 sixes in total.

Alongside Towhid, Mehidy Hasan Miraz also played superbly during the middle overs. He occupied the other end smartly when Tawhid needed a partnership. Due to their combined batting efforts, Bangladesh were rescued from a stuttering position. Mehidy Hasan Miraz played exceptionally well by scoring 60 runs off 87 balls.

However, after the fall of these two batters, Bangladesh couldn’t lift the momentum again. They lost wickets quickly, giving Afghanistan a way back into the match. The lower order couldn’t launch big sixes in the end, as Ghazanfar and Omarzai kept on picking wickets.

As a result, Bangladesh managed to score just 221 at the end of the innings. It is certainly a below-par total at Abu Dhabi, where teams usually score 270+ in the first innings. It would be interesting to see how Afghanistan will chase this one in the second innings, as they are also facing some issues in batting lately.