Afghanistan stun Bangladesh to level ODI series

DHAKA: Afghanistan skipper Asghar Stanikzai scored 57 runs as his side shocked Bangladesh by claiming a two-wicket victory in the second One-Day International to level the three-match series 1-1 here on Wednesday.

Bowlers set up the win for Afghanistan as leg-spinner Rashid Khan took 3-35 and Mohammad Nabi claimed 2-16 to help the visitors dismiss Bangladesh for a modest 208 runs on a slow pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Man-of-the-match Nabi showed his all-round skill scoring 49 runs and putting on 107 runs with Stanikzai in the fifth wicket as Afghanistan recovered from 63-4 to reach 212-8, completing their second win against Bangladesh in four meetings.

Stanikzai hit four fours and two sixes in his 95 balls to atone for some of his causal batting in the opening match, which saw Afghanistan lose by seven runs despite dominating Bangladeshi bowlers for a long period.

Shakib Al Hasan gave Bangladesh some hope with three early wickets before finishing with 4-47, but Nabi and Stanikzai stood firm to put Afghanistan in a strong position.

Mashrafe Mortaza trapped Nabi leg-before to end their partnership before debutant Mosaddek Hossain, who claimed 2-30, including one off his first ball, removed Stanikzai.

But Najibullah Zadran made 22 and other lower-order batsmen gave him valuable support to see Afghanistan home, setting the third and final match on October 1 as the series decider.

Bangladesh passed the 200-run mark owing to an unbeaten 45 runs of Mosaddek, who shared 43 runs with Rubel Hossain in the last wicket pair.

Put into bat first, Bangladesh made a cautious start with the opening pair fetching 45 runs.

Mirwais Ashraf, who claimed 2-23, removed both the openers Tamim Iqbal (20) and Soumya Sarkar (20) before Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad revived the innings, adding 61 runs for the third wicket.

Afghan spinners took control of the proceedings once Naveen-ul-Haq bowled Mahmudullah for 25.

Rahim, who scored 38, soon followed Mahmudullah attempting his favourite slow-sweep as Naveen-ul Haq took the catch at deep square leg off leg-spinner Shah.

Nabi trapped Shakib Al Hasan leg-before for 17 before Rashid worked out the lower order. 

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal c Dawlat  b Mirwais Ashraf     20

Soumya Sarkar c Hashmatullah b Mirwais  20

Mahmudullah b Naveen-ul-Haq        25

†Mushfiqur Rahim c Naveen Rahmat         38

Shakib Al Hasan lbw b Mohammad Nabi     17

Sabbir Rahman lbw b Rashid Khan   4

Mosaddek Hossain not out    45

*Mashrafe Mortaza c Dawlat b Nabi 2

Taijul Islam lbw b Rashid      10

Taskin Ahmed lbw b Rashid  0

Rubel Hossain run out (Naveen-ul-Haq)      10

Extras (b 1, lb 7, w 8, nb 1) 17

Total (all out; 49.2 overs)    208

Fall: 1-45, 2-50, 3-111, 4-122, 5-138, 6-138, 7-141, 8-165, 9-165, 10-208

Bowling: Nabi 10-3-16-2; Dawlat 8-1-47-0 (4w); Mirwais 5-0-23-2; Naveen 8.2-0-49-1 (1w); Rashid 10-2-35-3 (1w); Rahmat 8-0-30-1 (1nb, 2w);

Afghanistan

†Mohammad Shahzad c Taskin b Shakib    35

Nawroz Mangal c Taijul b Shakib     10

Rahmat Shah lbw b Shakib   0

Hashmatullah Shahidi lbw b Mosaddek       14

*Asghar Stanikzai c Sabbir b Mosaddek     57

Mohammad Nabi lbw b Mashrafe    49

Najibullah Zadran c Mosaddek b Taskin      22

Rashid Khan lbw b Shakib    5

Mirwais Ashraf not out        9

Dawlat Zadran not out         4

Extras (lb 2, w 5)     7

Total (8 wickets; 49.4 overs)         212

Did not bat: Naveen-ul-Haq

Fall: 1-14, 2-14, 3-59, 4-63, 5-170, 6-174, 7-189, 8-208

Bowling: Mashrafe 10-0-31-1 (2w); Shakib 10-0-47-4; Taskin 4.4-0-32-1 (2w); Taijul 10-0-38-0; Mosaddek 10-1-30-2 (1w); Sabbir 2-0-8-0; Rubel 3-0-24-0

ODI debut: Mosaddek Hossain (BD)

Result: Afghanistan won by 2 wickets

Man of the match: Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)

Umpires: Anisur Rahman and C Shamshuddin (India). TV umpire: Masudur Rahman. Match referee: R B Richardson (West Indies)