Bangladesh vs Afghanistan CWC 2023 Match 3 Report: Mehidy Hasan’s all-round performance guided Bangladesh to register their first win in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. Shakib and Shinto gave a little aid in their six-wicket victory in the tournament’s second match. This is the 13th consecutive World Cup defeat of Afghanistan, a streak that has persisted since 2015.
A Solid Start That Lost the Momentum
Afghanistan’s innings began solidly after they were put into bat, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran consistently finding the boundary. However, Shakib Al Hasan’s crucial interventions, dismissing both Ibrahim and Rahmat Shah, shifted the momentum in Bangladesh’s favor. Following these wickets, Afghanistan’s batting line-up struggled, stumbling from 83 for 1 to a total of 156.
Mehidy Too Good for Afghanistan
Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who played a pivotal role in Afghanistan’s collapse with his three-wicket haul, then showcased his prowess with the bat. He contributed a somewhat fortunate half-century from the number three position. Najmul Hossain Shanto continued his excellent form by remaining unbeaten with 59 runs, steering Bangladesh to a comprehensive victory with over 15 overs to spare.
While Dharamsala’s picturesque setting is renowned in world cricket, the sand-based outfield posed challenges, with fielders experiencing discomfort during slides and puffs of dust emerging when fast bowlers approached. Fortunately, as per the Bangladesh vs Afghanistan CWC 2023 Match 3 Report, neither team suffered injuries due to the conditions.
CHECK OUT: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan CWC 2023 Match 3 Report
Bangladesh, under Shakib’s captaincy, won the toss and opted to field. Although the new ball initially offered some movement, the Bangladeshi seamers shifted to a short length prematurely, sometimes losing their line. Gurbaz and Ibrahim capitalized on this, consistently finding boundaries, with at least one boundary per over from the second to the eighth.
Shakib interrupted their 47-run partnership when Ibrahim attempted a sweep from outside off and top-edged the ball to deep square-leg. Shortly thereafter, he claimed Rahmat Shah’s wicket in a similar fashion, the only distinction being that this catch was taken near short extra cover.
Rahmat’s dismissal curtailed Afghanistan’s scoring rate, with only five runs scored between the 16th and 19th overs. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, in particular, struggled to rotate the strike against Mehidy. Of the 22 balls he faced from the offspinner, Shahidi managed just three runs. To break free, he attempted a four off Mahmudullah and later charged down the track to Mustafizur Rahman, resulting in a boundary through the covers. However, when he decided to challenge Mehidy, he skied the ball, allowing it to be caught at mid-on.
On the other end, Gurbaz became the fastest Afghanistan player to reach 1000 ODI runs, achieving this milestone in 27 innings, surpassing Rahmat’s Afghanistan record by four innings. Despite his achievements, Shahidi’s struggles had an impact on Gurbaz as well. In an effort to accelerate the scoring rate, he took on Mustafizur, only to discover that the seamer had delivered a slower ball, leading to a miscued swing that was taken by Tanzid Hasan at deep cover.
Shakib returned to secure his third wicket as Najibullah Zadran played down the wrong line and was bowled out. In the following over, Mohammad Nabi inadvertently chopped a ball from Taskin Ahmed onto his stumps, leaving Afghanistan at 126 for 6. Rashid Khan, partnered by Azmatullah Omarzai, took Afghanistan to 150, but Rashid’s dismissal to Mehidy and subsequent wickets concluded their innings.
With the task of defending 156, Afghanistan’s bowlers struggled with wayward deliveries. Consequently, Bangladesh found themselves at 27 for 2, with Tanzid Hasan being run out due to a mix-up with Litton Das. Two overs later, Litton was bowled, contributing to Afghanistan’s resurgence. Despite these opportunities, Afghanistan couldn’t capitalize, with Mehidy being dropped twice, at 38 and 23 runs respectively. This profligacy proved costly as Mehidy and Shanto patiently accumulated runs.
The duo maintained a calculated approach, focusing on singles and doubles. Nevertheless, Mehidy reached his half-century in just 58 balls. Afghanistan finally ended their 97-run partnership with the dismissal of Mehidy, leaving Bangladesh needing just 33 runs to secure the victory, a target comfortably achieved by Shanto, who also reached his half-century.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan CWC 2023 Match 3 Report: Score Summary
Bangladesh
158 for 4 (Shanto 59*, Mehidy 57, Omarzai 1-9)
Afghanistan
156 (Gurbaz 47, Mehidy 3-25, Shakib 3-30)
Bangladesh by six wickets
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