Imrul Kayes scored a half-century on his return to the ODI team as Bangladesh eliminated Afghanistan following their tense three-run victory on Sunday.
Kayes only joined up with his team-mates at the weekend after being drafted in, but he scored 72 and put on a 128-run stand with Mahmudullah (74) for the sixth wicket.
Afghanistan made a good effort in their chase of 250 with half-centuries from Mohammad Shahzad and Hashmatullah Shahidi, but Bangladesh bowlers kept their cool at the last over to set up a winner-takes-all clash for a place in Friday’s final against India.
THE GOOD
HASHMATULLAH SHAHIDI CONTINUES GOOD FORM
For the third consecutive match, the 23-year-old batsman struck a half-century in the tournament. His 71 wasn’t enough to seal a victory but the manner of how he scored his runs deserves recognition. Bangladesh knew exactly the damage he could cause having seen it for themselves after his 58 runs in Thursday’s group game. Coming in at 26-2, Shahidi played a patient innings and formed a strong stand with captain Asghar Afghan. He looked comfortable at the crease with every ball and although he couldn’t be aggressive as he would have liked, he did score five boundaries.
IMRUL KAYES PROVES A POINT
The batsman had a lot to prove after being called into the squad midway through the tournament. His own selection was questioned by skipper Mashrafe Mortaza on Friday, but the 31-year-old silenced his critics under immense pressure. His 89-ball 72no only saw him reach the boundary six times but instead of attacking every ball, he went for the singles and twos and thus built a vital partnership that Bangladesh were desperate for.
Imrul Kayes let the bat do the talking
THE BAD
AFGHAN BOWLERS FAIL TO APPLY PRESSURE AFTER STRONG START
Afghan’s men made the perfect start to the game when Nazmul Shanto and Mohammad Mithun were dismissed inside the first five overs. The momentum was certainly with them, especially when Bangladesh were 87-5. But instead of putting the batsmen under pressure, they gave an opportunity for them to ease up. Afghan used six bowlers with Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur-Rehman, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan all bowling their full quotas and although they took late wickets, there seemed to be no plan B for Asghar.
Bangladesh have attacked 34% of Rashid Khan's deliveries today - that's the most they've attacked any Afghanistan bowler. #AsiaCup #AFGvBAN
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) September 23, 2018
SHAKIB’S POOR JUDGEMENT
While it was another top-order batting collapse for Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan, who has amassed more than 5,000 ODI runs, did himself no favours when he threw away his wicket due to a lapse of concentration. At 81-3, the Tigers needed his experience to propel them to a competitive total. But instead, he took off after hitting the ball despite strike-partner Mushfiqur standing his ground – forcing him to return. By the time he realised his mistake, he was way short of the mark.
Bangladesh's star-player Shakib Al Hasan(0) has to go after a poor call from him! A direct hit took away any chances he had of making it back #AFGvBAN #AsiaCup2018
— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) September 23, 2018
KEY MOMENTS
BANGLADESH’S INNINGS:
4.6 – WICKET: The Tigers lose their first wicket with Nazmul Shanto top-edging straight into Rahmat Shah’s hands.
5.3 – WICKET: Mohammad Mithun has no answer to Mujeeb Ur-Rehman’s delivery and is trapped LBW.
11.5 – DROPPED: Ur-Rehman survives after Mohammad Shahzad fails to take full control off the deflected effort.
18.4 – WICKET: After smashing a boundary, Liton Das’ poor selection shot sees him become Rashid Khan’s first victim of the day.
18.6 – WICKET: Shakib returns to the pavilion with a duck after being sent back from his initial run.
45.1 – FIFTY: Imrul Kayes brings up his fifty with a single – the second of the day after Mahmudulah’s half-century.
AFGHANISTAN’S INNINGS:
3.2 – DROPPED: Mohammad Mithun is the guilty person, allowing Shahzad’s shot to slip through his hands.
4.1 – WICKET: Ihsanullah goes for the drive but can’t keep it down and goes straight to Shanto.
20.4 – FIFTY: Shahzad brings up his half-century in style with a boundary.
24.4 – WICKET: Shahzad backs away from the stump and completely misses Mahmudullah’s delivery.
KEY TURNING POINT
THE 128-RUN STAND BETWEEN MAHMUDULAH AND IMRUL KAYES
At 87-5, it seemed for the third consecutive game they would be bowled out, but the returning Kayes and Mahmadullah showed the rest of the batsmen how to perform when under pressure. Only nine boundaries and two sixes were scored between them which tells you everything about how crucial their knocks were. The importance of rotating the strike was key and while Mahmadullah was unfortunate not to remain unbeaten, the stand proved to be the difference in the game.
VERDICT:
Afghanistan – C –
The Afghans were in the driver’s seat early on in the game when Bangladesh were 87-5 in the 20th over. But they failed to build on that momentum and ultimately paid the price when Kayes and Mahmudullah put on that superb stand. Although their batsmen kept going until the last over, it could have been different if one of them fell early. Nonetheless, there are plenty of positives to gain for Afghanistan and will have nothing to lose when they face India on Tuesday.
Bangladesh – B
Prior to the game, Mashrafe Mortaza demanded an improvement from his team and he got exactly that, although there are still areas that needs addressing. For a start, there are still concerns over their batting as was evident on Sunday when half their team were out with just 87 on the board. They needed Mahmudullah and Imrul Kayes to save the day. However, experienced members like Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqir Rahim will have to raise their game for Wednesday’s clash against Pakistan.
