Pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman led the way as Bangladesh restricted Afghanistan to 235-9 in the first ODI at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, despite a valiant effort from the Afghan pair Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi.
The Afghan captain Shahidi made 52 off 92 balls, while Nabi top scored with 84 off 79, including four fours and three sixes, to rescue the side with a 104-run sixth-wicket stand.聽
Taskin and Mustafiz took four wickets apiece, while Shoriful Islam picked one. This is the first time when two Bangladeshi pacers took at least four wickets in the same innings and only the fourth time that at least nine wickets were grabbed by the pacers.聽
After opting to bat first, Afghanistan lost four wickets inside the first powerplay, with Mustafiz picking up three, including two within four deliveries in the 10th over.聽
Taskin struck in the second over as Rahmanullah Gurbaz (5) edged behind while trying to drive after stepping out of the crease.聽
Mustafiz came to bowl in the eighth over and got an early success by having Rahmat Shah caught behind with an angling delivery.聽
Debutant opener Sediqullah Atal (21) was adjudged lbw, and then Azmatullah Omarzai was dismissed for a duck. At the end of the first powerplay, Afghanistan were reeling at 36-4.聽
Shahidi and Gulbadin Naib held the fort for a while as they added 36 off 61 balls until Taskin broke through by bouncing Naib out for 22 runs.
Afghanistan found themselves in a precarious position at 71-5, with Bangladesh poised to wrap things up quickly; however, the two Afghan senior campaigners mounted a resilient counterattack to turn the tide.
In a wicket where it was never easy for the new batters, they stood firmly as Bangladesh lost opportunities too.聽
Nabi could鈥檝e been lbw off Rishad Hossain on 37 had they taken a review. Soon after reaching the fifty off 52 balls, Nabi got another reprieve as Mahmudullah misjudged a catch at mid-off off the same bowler.聽
The young leg-spinner could鈥檝e had Nabi twice; instead, he remained wicketless after conceding 46 runs from eight overs.聽
Then Mustafiz broke the partnership when Shahidi dragged on a short delivery.聽
This is now the second-highest partnership for the sixth wicket against Bangladesh after losing five wickets before 80 runs.聽
Despite losing wickets in quick succession, Afghanistan tried to push through, with Nangeyalia Kharote remaining unbeaten on 27 off 28. But the rest couldn鈥檛 quite match his suit, as they were bundled out with two balls remaining.聽