Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
Bangladesh lost the three-match ODI series to Afghanistan after a five-wicket defeat in the series deciding final game at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck a scintillating century and Azamatullah Omarzai put up a stellar all-round performance to sink Bangladesh and help Afghanistan win its second straight bilateral series against the Tigers, having previously won a series in Chattogram last year.
Gurbaz raised his eighth ODI century in just 46 matches, making him the third fastest to reach this feat. South Africa’s Hashim Amla played 43 matches while Pakistan’s Babar Azam needed 44 matches to hit eight ODI centuries.
Before being out, he hammered 101 off 120, smashing five fours and seven sixes.
Omarzai who claimed 4-37 with bowling, was not out on 70 and signed off the game with a six. He eventually smote three fours and five sixes, playing 77 balls.
Mahmudullah made a run-a-ball 98 to shrug off his lean patch, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who led the side in his 100th ODI, scored a patient 66 to lift Bangladesh to 244-8.
But Gurbaz and Omarzai blitz helped Afghanistan to gun down the target with 10 balls to spare as they reached 246-5.
The team that bats first usually wins at this ground but Gurbaz who failed to prop up his game in the last two matches drove the side astutely even though the Afghan top order couldn’t do anything worthy.
Pacer Nahid Rana who made his ODI debut made an impressive start, having claimed the wicket of opener Sediqullah Atal (14) before Mustafizur Rahman struck twice to dismiss Rahman Shah (eight) and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (six), leaving the Afghans to 84-3.
Omarzai and Gurbaz combined a 100-run for the fourth wicket to keep the side ahead before Mehidy broke through just after Gurbaz reached his ton.
Nahid finished with 2-40 in 10 overs, after taking the wicket of Gulbadin Naib (one) but a 58-run partnership between Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi for the unbeaten sixth wicket propelled Afghanistan to victory.
Nabi was not out on 34 off 27, including five fours.
Veteran Mahmudullah was dismissed on 98, missing out on the fifth ton on what could be a graceful feat after a string of poor outings that saw him making 0, 1, 2, 3 in the last four matches.
Mehidy became the fifth Bangladeshi batter to hit a half-century on his captaincy debut and the third one from the country to achieve the feat on his 100th ODI.
Pacer sparked a mini collapse that proved decisive in denying Bangladesh to reach 250-run mark.
Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Soumya Sarkar once again made a good start but continued the habit of throwing out it after being set in the crease.
They shared 53 runs for the opening stand in 8.3 overs after which Omarzai rattled the stump of Soumya, who made 23 ball-24.
Nabi had Tanzid (19) caught by Hashmatullah Shahidi at cover-point and Zakir Hasan, playing his first ODI in a year, was trapped run out as Bangladesh were reduced to 58-3.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan extended Towhid Hridoy’s lean patch, having dismissed him for seven with a googly.
Relling at 72-4, Bangladesh bounced back in style, thanks to Mehidy and Mahmudullah.
While under fire Mahmudullah counter-punched, Mehidy concentrated on keeping his wicket by playing watchfully.
Mahmudullah raised his 29th fifty off 63 balls, driving left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote to long-off for a single.
But Mehidy took 106 balls to reach his fourth fifty as he drove Nabi to long-on for a single.
Both of the batters paced the innings after reaching the fifty with Mahmudullah particularly on fire, having hit Nabi for maximum a couple of times.
Azmatullah Omarzai baffled Mehidy with a slower to bring an end to the 145-run partnership between him and Mahmudullah. His 119-ball innings featured only four boundaries.
Omarzai then dismissed Jaker Ali Anik and Nasum Ahmed in quick succession to stall Bangladesh’s progress.
But to the dismay of the fans, Mahmudullah also found it tough to go for lusty shots in the death overs, which eventually denied him the century.
He was trapped and run out in the last balls after trying to steal two runs. His run-a-ball-knock was studded by seven fours and three sixes.
