- Stefan Shemilt
- chief cricket writer
ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, Dharamsala |
Afghanistan 156 (37.2 overs): Gulbaz 47 (62); Mehdi 3-25, Shakib 3-30 |
Bangladesh 158-4 (34.4 overs): Shunt 59* (83), Mehidi 57 (73) |
Bangladesh won by 6 wickets |
Bangladesh started their World Cup campaign in Dharamsala with a six-wicket win over Afghanistan.
Afghanistan took the lead with some good pitching but wasted the chance as they were hit back with a wispy stroke and were bowled out for 156 in 37.2 overs.
The Tigers fought back with 27-2, but a stand of 97 from Mehdi Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto saw them reach the target with 15.2 overs remaining.
Bangladesh will next play England at the same venue on Tuesday (6am JST).
Afghanistan, who have lost 13 consecutive World Cup matches since 2015, will face hosts India in Delhi on Wednesday.
Shakib energizes Tigers
This is expected to be an interesting affair, with two of the bottom teams in the tournament expected to make it on the outside in the semi-finals.
Bangladesh easily defeated their opponents at the picturesque Dharamshala ground surrounded by the Himalayas.
Not only did Afghanistan squander a good start with the bat, they also missed opportunities in the field, leaving their coach, former England batsman Jonathan Trott, with room for improvement.
From 47-0 to 83-1, Afghanistan went on to lose their last eight wickets for 44 runs. The initial spark of soccer’s collapse was Shakib Al Hasan, the 36-year-old Bangladeshi captain playing in his fifth World Cup.
The left-arm spinner, assisted by Mehdi, batted a perfect line of 3-30 and with an all-round performance including off-breaks, he posted 3-25.
Left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman took a crucial scalp from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who hit 47 before becoming one of the long list of Afghan batsmen to waste wickets.
Defending a modest target, Afghanistan looked to have a chance when Tanjid Hassan was taken out by a direct hit from Najibullah Zadran and Liton Das played in with Fazalhaq Farooqi.
However, Najibullah squandered an easy chance when Mehidi hit just 16 runs, and survived a poor shot by third man Mujeeb-ur-Rehman when the same batsman hit 23 runs.
Shant could have been out at number 16, but Rashid Khan was too casual in trying to take the bails on the non-striker’s side.
Mehdi and Shanto both received a reprieve and formed a decisive partnership in the face of threats from star leg-spinner Rashid.
Mehdi could not get the job done and Rahmat Shah took a superb one-handed catch high over his head from Naveen-ul-Haq’s pace at mid-off, dropping him for 57.
Shakib made a refreshing 14 and holed out at deep square leg, while Shant, undefeated on 59 wins, hit the winning stroke.
In addition to the result, what will be of interest to England is the poor quality of Dharamsala’s outfield. A soft sandy surface might not be the place to risk injuring Ben Stokes’ lower back.
“We should learn from our mistakes” – Reaction
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan: “It wasn’t easy, but I’m very happy with our bowling.
“All five bowlers participated, with the spinners playing a bigger role, but it’s a long tournament. I’m sure the fast bowlers will contribute more.”
Afghanistan national team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi: “We started well but after the first wicket fell we had a poor shot selection but their bowlers bowled very tight.
“I’m looking forward to the upcoming matches. We should learn from our mistakes.”