Bangladesh and Afghanistan played out a nail-biting series decider in the third ODI at the Sharjah Cricket
Ground. Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Hitherto, both teams had taken one win each to keep the last match
between them on an even keel. Bangladesh, captained by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, opted to bat first to put up a good total. However, Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling unit struck in early to put the Bangladeshi batsmen under immense pressure.
Bangladesh Batting Line-Up Under Pressure:
Bangladesh, having won the toss and electing to bat first, had plans to make sure they provided a
defendable score in the first innings. Exclusively experienced players like Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar,
Zakir Hasan , and young gun Towhid Hridoy were in the batting line up. Afghanistan bowlers started putting Bangladesh on the back foot quite early. Rashid Khan and Nangeyalia Kharote were remarkably incisive while bowling tight lines that allowed minimal scoring opportunities for Bangladesh batsme
There was an attempt at a stable opening partnership between Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar at the
start of the innings. However, early wickets in the innings meant Bangladeshi batsmen needed to be cautious. Zakir Hasan showed patches of resilience, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, the rate of scoring remained subdued.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz Leads the Middle-Order Efforts
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz came into the crease with Bangladesh in a position that required him to first
steady the innings.
Known for his cool head in a storm, Miraz attempted to anchor the Bangladeshi
middle order with Mahmudullah as the experience of the latter was so vital in the context of the game. The partnership was short-lived, though, as the bowlers of Afghanistan continued to break through. Rashid Khan, with his magical leg-spin, sent Towhid Hridoy to the pavilion and tied Bangladesh’s scoring tempo. At the 17-over mark, Bangladesh’s scoreboard read 80/4, reflecting the troubles they had faced against the Afghanistan bowling attack.
Afghanistan’s Bowling Performance
Afghanistan got its bowling strategy just right, each bowler bowling to a very disciplined line and length. The attack was led by Rashid Khan, with his accurately placed leg-spins, supported with tight overs from
Nangeyalia Kharote to build pressure on the batters. Rashid’s ability to turn the ball on this Sharjah pitch
proved hard for Bangladesh to deal with as they struggled to find gaps and maintained a consistent scoring rate throughout.
Current Score and Player Contributions
As the overs slipped away, Bangladesh was left looking up to Mehidy Hasan Miraz and other lower
middle order batters like Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan to stitch together the innings. With the likes
of Hasan Mahmud , Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman still to bat, the goal was at least to cross the
200-run mark and give the bowlers something to fight with. But with every over passing, Afghanistan
tightened up the match, and the Bangladeshi batsmen could not get a rhythm into it at all.
Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan: A Series to Remember
The trends have been set to that end, with Afghanistan utterly dominating in the first ODI, Allah Ghazanfar going to where few have gone with 6/26, and Bangladesh getting back a day later with brilliant
performances from Najmul Hossain Shanto, Jaker Ali, and Nasum Ahmed, thus sealing an important victory. As the series draws level, today’s match has kept fans glued to every delivery.
The Bangladeshi bowlers, in turn, would need to be at their best when the innings nears the finishing line
and concede less against a desperate Afghan batting line up. Mehidy Hasan Miraz would look to regroup
at the halfway mark and put on an effective bowling plan to keep their hopes alive.
This match will be a reflection of both teams’ performance during the series. Keep glued to EDesh News
as this thrilling climax of the series will furnish you with the latest updates and a summary of the highlights.