AFG VS BAN 1ST ODI

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Now, this is by no means going to be an easy chase, Bangladesh haven’t had the best of the times with the bat and Afghanistan have a top bowling lineup. The visitors will be tested but the question is, can they overcome the test? We will find out in a bit. Stay tuned.

The Bangladesh pacers were excellent with the new ball. Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam didn’t give away a lot and also picked wickets. Once the ball lost its shine, the ball came on nicely onto the bat and the bowlers seemed less effective. Bangladesh will be disappointed with the spinners who failed to pick a wicket. The pacers though came back strongly in the end to keep Afghanistan below a par score with Taskin and Fizz both ending with four wickets each.

That’s a fine recovery from Afghanistan. Had they been given over 220 when they were 4 down for not a lot, they would have surely taken it. The top order was dismissed inside Powerplay 1 but then Gulbadin Naib and Hashmatullah Shahidi put up a small stand to steady things. Naib fell when he just started to get going but then came the stand which got Afghanistan back into the game. A 100-plus stand between Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi with both scoring fifties. When they were batting 250 looked possible but wickets towards the end has seen them fall short of that mark but still get to a competitive score thanks to Nangeyalia Kharote and his fine cameo of 27 runs from 28 balls.

OUT! RUN OUT! That's it, Bangladesh have finally managed to bundle out Afghanistan but Shoriful Islam is visibly upset and rightly so. Gull and straight from Shoriful, angling in, Kharote squeezes it out towards deep mid-wicket and picks up a single but they want two again and start running. Towhid Hridoy fires in a throw at the bowler's end and Shoriful takes off the bails. Fazalhaq Farooqi is well short and Afghanistan finish with 235 on the board.

OUT! RUN OUT! That's it, Bangladesh have finally managed to bundle out Afghanistan but Shoriful Islam is visibly upset and rightly so. Gull and straight from Shoriful, angling in, Kharote squeezes it out towards deep mid-wicket and picks up a single but they want two again and start running. Towhid Hridoy fires in a throw at the bowler's end and Shoriful takes off the bails. Fazalhaq Farooqi is well short and Afghanistan finish with 235 on the board.

There should never have been two there. Full and tailing into the legs, Kharote takes the front leg out and jams it towards deep mid-wicket. They pick up a single and Fazalhaq Farooqi pushes for the double. Kharote runs towards the danger end and dives in to safety, poor throw from the deep as well.

Good running and presence of mind as well. Full and straight right in the blockhole, Kharote with an attempted helicopter shot and this is squeezed away past square leg for a couple of runs.

Bowled well into the deck and around off, Nangeyalia Kharote looks to go hard at the pull but there's not much room and this is miscued down to mid on.

Bowled short and around leg, Kharote manages to pull it away behind square leg and picks up a single to keep strike for the start of the next over.

Goes wider of the crease and howls it on a hard length, angling it back in from outside off, Kharote looks to cut again but misses.

FOUR! Another top shot from Kharote! Mustafizur Rahman goes back to the slower one and bowls it short and wide this time, Kharote backs away and smashes the cut shot past point for another boundary.

Bowled short and at the bodyline, Kharote looks to pull but misses and wears it on the biceps.

Much better from the Fizz! Seam-up this time, on a good length and around off, coming back in sharply, Kharote looks to block but is well beaten.

SIX! Nangeyalia Kharote, you beauty! Too predictable from Mustafizur Rahman, full and wide as well. Kharote stays back and sets himself well before smacking it straight back over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Excellent review! Hard-length delivery from Taskin Ahmed, on off and angling back in. Fazalhaq Farooqi gets pegged back and looks to block but is beaten past the outside edge and gets pinged on the pads. There is a loud appeal and the finger is raised but it is reviewed. Nothing on UltraEdge but Ball Tracking shows that it is too high and the decision is reversed.