Bangladesh’s worst fear in their build up to the Asia Cup came true on Saturday, as the hosts suffered an embarrassing 32-run defeat to Afghanistan at Fatullah to fall out of the title race.
The Tigers hoped to bury all their recent disappointments by picking up a win against a side who, despite their meteoric rise in world cricket and indomitable nature, were still regarded as tournament minnows.
But the debilitated Tigers once again lacked the killer instinct that usually typifies a quality team and they paid dearly.
Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari snatched the game from their grip, scoring two contrasting fifties to help Afghanistan recover from 5-90 and put up 254-6, swinging the momentum completely their way.
Their innings had some similarities with Thisara Perera’s recent 57-ball 80, which lifted Sri Lanka to 180 from 67-8 and subsequently took Sri Lanka to 13-run win in the first one-day international of their three-match series against Bangladesh.
The defeat psychologically affected Bangladesh so much that they were not competitive in the remaining two matches, losing the series 3-0.
Stanikzai and Shenwari combined to mimic Perera, adding 107 runs in the last 10 overs and leaving Bangladesh in total disarray.
The after-effect was two wickets for one run to begin the hosts’ response, making defeat seem all but inevitable. An erroneous lbw decision against Mushfiqur Rahim (23), who tried to rebuild the innings with Mominul Haque, only made matters worse.
Mominul provided some resistance, but it was beyond his capacity to lift a side that was totally damaged psychologically.
He departed for 50, taking the last ray of hope away with him. Out-of-form batsman Nasir Hossain did nothing to silence his critics, who have been irritated at him for focusing more on show business than cricket recently.
Ziaur Rahman’s late blitz of 41 from 22 balls only delayed the inevitable.
‘It is the most embarrassing defeat in my career,’ said Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahman. ‘If we cannot perform perhaps the time has come for us to be replaced.’
It could have been a completely different story if Nasir had held a catch off the bat of Stanikzai when he was on 35, with the batsman trying to rebuild the Afghan innings after Bangladesh’s spinners left them in tatters in the first 27 overs.
Stanikzai and Shenwari went on to put on 164 runs to set a new sixth-wicket record against Bangladesh.
Stanikzai remained unbeaten on 90 off 103 balls, while Samiullah made 81 off 69 balls before he was run out off the penultimate delivery of their innings.
Bangladesh – already weakened by the absence of the injured Mashrafee bin Murtaza and Tamim Iqbal, and the suspended Sakib al Hasan – received a further blow when off-spinner Sohag Gazi left the field after bowling just three balls.
Gazi injured his hand while trying to stop powerful drive from Karim Sadiq and needed four stitches. He came in to bat as the last man when Bangladesh still needed 41 from 22 balls.
The home side, who opted to bowl first, had the early momentum as Rubel Hossain trapped Mohammad Shehzad leg-before for two and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny dismissed Sadiq for 12 and Najibullah Zadran for 21.
Nawroz Mangal was run out by direct hit from Naeem Islam after making 24, before Mominul had Mohammad Nabi caught by Nasir at slip for seven.
Stanikzai and Shenwari steadied the innings before opening up to put on Afghanistan’s highest ODI partnership against a Test -playing country and their third-highest overall.
Stanikzai completed his fifty off 81 balls with a six over long on off Rubel. He then added 40 runs from the next 22 balls he faced.
Bangladesh fielders were guilty of dropping him a further two times – on 72 and on 77 – with substitute Imrul Kayes the culprit both times.
-With New Age input
