Afghanistan Beat Bangladesh in Last-Ball Thriller to Complete Whitewash in Dehradun
Afghanistan completed an emphatic whitewash over Bangladesh after beating them by just 1 run in third and final T20I in Dehradun on Thursday. In what was touted as a dead-rubber between the two sides, the excitement levels inside the ground reached a fever pitch as the match witnessed a thrilling finale. Once again it was Rashid Khan (Man of the Series) who starred with the ball and successfully defended nine runs in the final over. Chasing 146, Bangladesh were in a spot of bother at the start but wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim brought his side back into the match by smashing 5 fours in the penultimate over to bring the equation down from 30 runs in 12 balls to 9 runs in 6 deliveries. Only 4 were required off the last ball when Rashid sent down yet another impeccable googly to which Ariful Haque tried to slog hard but failed to clear the ropes as his team failed to get past the finishing line. Batting first the men from Afghanistan posted a challenging score of 145 on a sluggish surface. For Bangladesh, it was yet another instance where their top order perished without making any significant contribution. Courtesy of Mushfiqur Rahim’s 46 and Mahmudullah’s unbeaten 44 the Tigers almost reached the cusp of victory before falling in the last lap. The crushing 3-0 series win also ensured that Afghanistan completes a clean sweep over Bangladesh in their first ever T20 bilateral series.
Earlier, Afghanistan skipper Asghar Stanikzai won the toss for the first time in the series and opted to bat first. While the Afghans opted for just one change, Bangladesh made three adjustments by roping in the trio of Abu Jayed, Ariful Haque, and Mehidy Hasan in place of Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, and Mosaddek Hossain.
Mehidy Hasan was brought on in the first over itself with skipper Shakib Al Hasan operating from the other end during the powerplay. However, spin from both ends did not trouble the opening duo of Usman Ghani and Mohammad Shahzad. 43 runs came in the powerplay without any hiccups as the duo went on to forge yet another 50-run partnership between themselves. However, a poor umpiring decision brought a premature end to Mohammad Shahzad’s entertaining knock (26 off 22 balls). Usman Ghani followed soon ending his struggle at the crease (19 off 26 balls.)
Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari then steered the ship through the middle overs. But the inability to rotate strike saw the run rate take a hit during this period. 100 came up in the 14th over of the innings but the acceleration towards the end wasn’t forthcoming as Bangladeshi bowlers came back well, especially at the death overs. Only 38 came off the last five overs out of which Samiullah Shenwari (33 off 26) scored the majority thus taking Afghanistan to 145/6 in 20 overs.
Chasing the 146 under lights, the pressure was always going to be on the visitors. All hopes of a good start fizzled away as senior statesman Tamim Iqbal succumbed to rising star Mujeeb Ur Rahman for just 5 runs. Disaster struck minutes later as Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar were run-out in quick succession after getting involved in terrible mix-ups. With scorecard at 35/3 in 6 overs, it was always going to be an uphill task for the Tigers from thereon. An irresponsible shot by skipper Shakib Al Hasan coupled with a sensational catch by Samiullah Shenwari led to Shakib’s return to the dugout. With their team in dire straits, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah finally made an impression in the series by forging a vital 84-run stand.
Together they kept Bangladesh in the hunt. However, what stood between Bangladesh and victory was one man- Rashid Khan. Rashid only conceded three runs in the 18th over after which Rahim smashed 21 runs in the 19th. However, in the final over of the encounter drama ensued as only five runs came off the first five deliveries leaving four to get off one ball. Ariful Haque, who was on strike, attempted a slog of yet another googly by Rashid and connected it well. However, Shafiqullah Shafiq, who was fielding at long-on, ran across to his left, latched on to the ball and then remarkably flicked it back inside only for Nabi to return the throw and runout Mahmudullah before he could complete the third run and take the game into the super over. While Bangladesh has seemed to have made it a habit of not finishing games, Afghanistan celebrated like there is no tomorrow.
Courtesy : indianexpress
