Player of the Match
Player of the Match

9:35pm That will be all from us for tonight. We hope you enjoyed our coverage and we will be back again when Afghanistan look to seal the series on Saturday. Until then, this is goodbye from Himanshu, Raghav, Thilak and myself. Take care, folks!

AM Ghazanfar is the Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling figures of 6-26! Sampath also tells me that he is the third youngest bowler to take a six-wicket haul in men's ODIs.

Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan captain: Quite happy about the performance. It was good and looking forward to the next two games. (On if he thought the score was enough) Honestly, yes. I was believing. He (Nabi) was really positive. Our discussion was that if we scored 220, it would be a good enough score. 236 was a good target here and the bowlers then did their job (smiles). The way the spinners bowled was brilliant. (On Ghazanfar) He is a special talent. Good kid, good future for Afghanistan. I trust him and that is why he is in the team and playing. First few overs also he bowled well. After the no ball, I asked him what he was doing and asked him to not do it again (laughs). (On Gurbaz and Afghanistan's depth) I am very happy. We have a lot of youngsters. We have other options available as back-ups. It is unfortunate that Ibrahim is not with us - he is our best player as an opener. Gurbaz was also injured (today) and hopefully he recovers (for the next game).

Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh captain: (On the bowling) We started very well. For 15-20 overs, we bowled really well. In the middle, we could not execute. Nabi batted brilliantly. I didn't think we needed to attack more (with the ball). The wicket had low bounce (and we had to stick to our plans). My wicket made the difference in today's game. I was the set batter and after that Miraz, even Soumya, we scored 30-40s. In these conditions, you have to bat longer. Afghanistan always have mystery spinners, everyone bowled really well and he (Ghazanfar) bowled really well. The preparation was brilliant but today was not our day, hopefully we can come back strongly in the next game.

Azweer : "11/7, 23/8. Whatta collapse..!!"

9:10pm Well, that ended rather swiftly. Bangladesh seemed in control, especially when Mehidy and Shanto were at the crease. Shanto then indulged in an ill-advised sweep stroke and then Mehidy fell. Bangladesh lost their last seven wickets for just 11 runs, with the Afghanistan spinners running rampant and leaving Bangladesh and their fans shellshocked.

Ghazanfar destroyed Bangladesh with his variations and mystery spin. Bangladesh failed to read him regularly enough and once he started running through the line-up, they just did not have any answers. Rashid kept doing his thing at the other end, with Omarzai and Nabi also coming to the party at other junctures. This was, especially when Bangladesh were cruising at 120-2, a game Afghanistan had no business winning. But they have won. And they have won it. With an enormous margin to spare. And at an absolute canter.

34.3
W
Ghazanfar to Shoriful Islam, OUT, knocks him over! That will be that! Ghazanfar hammers the final nail in Bangladesh's coffin and finishes with extraordinary figures of 6-26! This is slower and perhaps fuller on off. Shoriful looks at the flight and has only one thing on his mind. Swings for the hills but only swats away a few flies. The ball crashes into off stump and Ghazanfar, the star of the night, leaps into the air in celebration. Smiles, handshakes and embraces in the Afghanistan camp - they have blown Bangladesh away! Bangladesh do not know what has hit them. They were in control until they weren't, and once the wheels fell off, they went nowhere!

Shoriful Islam b Ghazanfar 1 (7m 4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 25.00

34.2
0
Ghazanfar to Shoriful Islam, no run, full just outside off. Shoriful clears his front leg and tries to smash it into next week. Gets it as far as his back leg
34.1
1
Ghazanfar to Mustafizur Rahman, 1 run, very full just outside off. Mustafizur digs it out into the mid wicket region

Thanks Himanshu. Ghazanfar on a hat-trick. Around the wicket to Mustafizur. Two slips and a leg slip in place

END OF OVER:
34 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | BAN: 142/9 (94 runs required from 16 overs, RR: 4.17, RRR: 5.87)

  • Shoriful Islam1 (2b)
  • Mustafizur Rahman2 (2b)
  • Rashid Khan8-0-28-2
  • AM Ghazanfar6-1-25-5

Shashwat will see you through

33.6
0
Rashid Khan to Shoriful Islam, no run, full and dipping on the stumps, and pushed to midwicket
33.5
1
Rashid Khan to Mustafizur Rahman, 1 run, length ball wide of off. He goes slashing, but gets a bottom edge

From around

33.4
1
Rashid Khan to Shoriful Islam, 1 run, on a length, and turning away to finish outside off. Pulled aerially towards long-on

Shoriful facing his first ball

33.3
1
Rashid Khan to Mustafizur Rahman, 1 run, on a length on the stumps, and slashed to deep point

Mustafizur

33.2
W
Rashid Khan to Towhid Hridoy, OUT, gone! Another one is bowled! Rashid keeps bowling the googly, and the Bangladesh batters keep misreading him. This lands on the shorter side of a length, and just outside off. Hridoy is down on his back knee to try and paddle sweep, but is beaten by the turn, and the slowness of the ball. It hits off stump, and takes Afghanistan close to a win

Towhid Hridoy b Rashid Khan 11 (132m 21b 0x4 0x6) SR: 52.38

33.1
0
Rashid Khan to Towhid Hridoy, no run, on a length on off, and pushed back towards midwicket
33.1
1w
Rashid Khan to Towhid Hridoy, 1 wide, on a length, and turning in. It takes his pad as he looks to swipe. Rather, it is a wide

END OF OVER:
33 | 2 Runs 3 Wkts | BAN: 138/8 (98 runs required from 17 overs, RR: 4.18, RRR: 5.76)

  • Towhid Hridoy11 (19b)
  • AM Ghazanfar6-1-25-5
  • Rashid Khan7-0-24-1
32.6
W
Ghazanfar to Taskin Ahmed, OUT, bowled him! He will be on a hat-trick when he starts his next over. But before that, he has already got five! This is another carrom ball, as he angles it in from around the wicket. It lands on a length around fifth stump, and comes back in. Taskin goes defending, but the is beaten, as the ball clicks off stump

Taskin Ahmed b Ghazanfar 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Taskin, as Ghazanfar comes from around

32.5
W
Ghazanfar to Rishad Hossain, OUT, a confident appeal for lbw, and given! But Rishad reviews. Ghazanfar bowled another carrom bowled, which he flicked into the batter. It landed on a length around middle and leg, and bounced nicely while also hinting to turn away. Rishad went deep in the crease, and looked to clip by opening his stance up. But he missed, and replays show it as umpire's call on hitting the top of middle

Rishad Hossain lbw b Ghazanfar 1 (3m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00

32.4
1
Ghazanfar to Towhid Hridoy, 1 run, full on off, and he looks to whip but gets an inside edge on to his pad. The ball dribbles towards midwicket, and they pinch a single
32.3
0
Ghazanfar to Towhid Hridoy, no run, on a fullish length, and just outside off. Blocked down by Hridoy
32.2
1
Ghazanfar to Rishad Hossain, 1 run, full on middle and leg, and nudged towards square leg

Rishad

Bangladesh 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st12Soumya SarkarTanzid Hasan
2nd53Soumya SarkarNajmul Hossain Shanto
3rd55Najmul Hossain ShantoMehidy Hasan Miraz
4th12Mehidy Hasan MirazTowhid Hridoy
5th3MahmudullahTowhid Hridoy
6th1Mushfiqur RahimTowhid Hridoy
7th2Towhid HridoyRishad Hossain
8th0Taskin AhmedTowhid Hridoy
9th1Towhid HridoyShoriful Islam
10th4Mustafizur RahmanShoriful Islam