AFG vs BAN 2024/25, AFG vs BAN 2nd ODI match report, November 9, 2024

by Junna Base November 11, 2024

Bangladesh Batting 252 for 7 (Shanto 76, Jaker 37*, Kharote 3-28). Afghanistan 184 (Rahmat 52, Nasum 3-28, Mehidy 2-37) for 68 runs

First, Afghanistan’s spin quartet finished with a total of 38-0-144-7. The Bangladesh trio responded with 21.3-2-72-5. But while Afghanistan’s quicks bowled 12 overs for 108 runs without a single wicket, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers were more incisive with four wickets in 22 overs, taking just 111. That was the difference in the end as Afghanistan fell 68 points short in their chase to 253 and Bangladesh leveled the three-match series with one game to spare.

Bangladesh’s victory was paved by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 76. When Shanto fell on his 119th ball in the 41st over of the first innings, his innings seemed too slow. But the value of his runs became clear when the Afghan batters struggled to get going, justifying that batting was not easy on a slow and stressed surface in Sharjah. Six of Afghanistan’s top eight scored at least 14 points, but only one managed to score a half-century. Rahmat Shah’s 76-ball 52 remained the highest.

Afghanistan’s hunt for 253 started quietly. The Bangladesh quicks started with tight lines and lengths and the new swing of the ball, but their first two breakthroughs came from some fantastic catches. Soumya Sarkar expected a ball to fly towards him at wide slip, allowing Rahmanullah Gurbaz to intercept Taskin Ahmed, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz – at square leg – leapt and flicked a ball to Sediqullah Atal from Nasum’s first ball Push Ahmed back.

Atal was bowled out for 39, ending a 52-run second-wicket partnership with Rahmat, but his dismissal initiated a sequence in which Nasum and Mahmudullah kept Afghanistan under control, conceding just 19 runs in the next seven overs.

Mehidy took over as captain after Shanto had to leave the field due to a hand injury and returned to bowling in the 24th over. One over past the halfway mark, Afghanistan’s required rate had exceeded six runs per over and the slide began on the 29th.

Mustafizur Rahman had Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi caught at nice leg for a 40-ball 17, and then Nasum Azmatullah bowled Omarzai for his second duck of the series with a nice ball that spun away and hit the stump.

Three balls later, Rahmat paid the price for a mix-up with Gulbadin Naib, who pushed one to cover and called. While Naib was watching the fielder, Rahmat was halfway up the pitch and eventually both of them ran towards Jaker Ali, the debutant wicketkeeper. Jaker, playing in place of the injured Mushfiqur Rahim, threw the ball to Nasum at the other end and Rahmat was clearly short.

Thus, Afghanistan lost three wickets in six deliveries and although Naib swung his bat around for an entertaining 26 and added 44 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, his dismissal had too much to do for the rest. They lost their last five wickets for just 21 runs and folded for 184 in 43.4 overs.

This batting performance made Shanto’s half-century and Jaker’s death overs batting performance look even better. Bangladesh had lost Tanzid Hasan earlier in the afternoon, but Shanto and Soumya stepped up their game. Despite Shanto slowing down after the powerplay, Bangladesh managed 82 in 14 overs.

However, it took another 23 overs to reach another 82 for Bangladesh, although only two more wickets were lost in that period. All four Afghan top players – Rashid, Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar – operated in this phase and conceded just two fours and one six.

Rashid broke the 71-run second-wicket partnership between Shanto and Soumya when he caught the latter lbw. Soumya (35) did not check the ball despite being asked and later found that the replays showed that the ball had landed outside the line.

In total, Shanto took 75 balls to reach his half-century, which he completed in the middle of the 28th over. Both Mehidy and Shanto struggled to fend off the Afghan spinners and had to rely on running between the wickets amid a plethora of scores. In the 32nd over, Shanto was adjudged lbw at 55 off Ghazanfar, but he reviewed the decision and overturned it.

But Rashid broke the 53-run stand when he cleaned Mehidy with a googly next over. With 12 overs to go and Bangladesh on 174, Bangladesh were on their way to a strong finish but Shanto was slow but Kharote struck three times in the next three overs to put a dent in their cause. Towhid Hridoy, Shanto and Mahmudullah all left in quick succession.

But Jaker and Nasum ensured that Bangladesh would get a competitive result. The last six overs were used for 60 runs as Nasum started the fun with a slog sweep for six against Kharote. As Afghanistan changed tempo in the 47th over, Jaker Fazalhaq hit Farooqi for two consecutive sixes, with one landing over the roof behind deep midwicket. Nasum scored a 25, just better than a run-a-ball, while Jaker added the finishing touches. The debutant ensured that Bangladesh crossed the 250 mark.

Himanshu Agrawal is an editor at ESPNcricinfo

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