OBHAI Only Test: Afghanistan Vs Bangladesh Played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram.
Brief Scorecard at Stumps Day-4
Afghanistan 1st Innings 341 All Out (Rahmat Shah 102, Asghar Afghan 92, Rashid Khan 51, Afsar Zazai 41, Ibrahim Zadran 21, Taijul Islam 4/116, Nayeem Hasan 2/43, Shakib Al Hasan 2/64) and 2nd Innings 260 All Out (Ibrahim Zadran 87, Asghar Afghan 50, Afsar Zazai 48*, Rashid Khan 24, Shakib Al Hasan 3/58, Mehidy Miraj 2/35 Nayeem Hasan 2/61, Taijul Islam 2/86)
Bangladesh 1st Innings 205 All Out (Mominul Haque 52, Mosaddek Hossain 48*, Liton K Das 33, Rashid Khan 5/55, Mohammad Nabi 3/56) and Bangladesh 2nd Innings 136/6 (Shadman Islam 41, Shakib Al Hasan 39*, Mushfiqur Rahim 23, Rashid Khan 3/46, Zakir Khan 2/36, Mohammad Nabi 1/ 38)
Afghanistan lead need 4 more wickets to win
At stumps of rain affected penultimate day of OBHAI only Test match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh, hosts need another impossible 282 runs for a win with only 4 wickets at hand. The match situation evidence eloquently that only nature can rescue Bangladesh opening up the sky and washing away the day when 98 overs are due for playing. Winning the toss and batting first on a wicket prescribed by Bangladesh think tank Afghanistan playing only its third test got upto impressive 341 all out braving 4 +3 = 7 men strong spin attack. Bangladesh appearing on home soil and known environment in its 81st test was bundled out for only 205 in their first innings.
Unfazed and undaunted Afghanistan went on scoring 260 all out in their second innings reaching an impregnable position of 397 runs lead. Bangladesh chasing the improbable victory target of 398 struggled reaching 136/6 when rain and bad light stopped play early on day four. Weather permitting there is still 98 overs to play now only nature can come to Bangladesh rescue. In their home condition, on a wicket doctored by their own curators it was pathetic all round display by Bangladesh which has created this unpalatable situation. In all three departments batting, bowling and fielding Afghanistan proved far too superior side and richly deserve historic win from here.
Well some may say miracle happens in cricket. Bangladesh still have their Captain and leading all rounder in all format Shakib batting on 39. He has with him Soumya Sarkar who usually opens the batting came to bat at number eight. Three spinners Miraj, Taijul and Nayeem are in left to bat. It is mission impossible.
Weather forecast however is for frequent rain. Whatever be the case rookie Afghans have already caused humiliation for Bangladesh and cruelly exposed the frailty of Bangladesh cricket. BCB definitely has flaws in its thought process and player management strategy. They had wrong home work on Afghanistan. They possibly thought the way Bangladesh earlier trapped Australia, England and West Indies on turning track in Bangladesh would work. They forgot that this Afghan team possess some of the leading wrist and unorthodox spinners of the world. They prepare themselves on spin friendly Indian wickets. For this particular tour they prepared in similar climate in Abu Dhabi. Many of the Afghan players play in BPL and Dhaka domestic cricket. It was far more pertinent leaving some grass on the wicket and letting likes of Mustafiz and Taskin go at them. Bangladesh prepared its pace arsenal hurriedly engaging new head coach and other coaching staff including a bowling coach. But surprising all an all spinning bowling attack with 4 front line spinners and 3 part timers were included in playing eleven.
We all know that Bangladesh had mixed performance in CWC2019 finishing 8th among the 10 participants. Batting was among the main issues. Unfortunately no post mortem was done. Top performer Shakib (captain of test and T20) was let on leave. Leading opening batsman Tamim for his own reason sought leave. With very little preparation Bangladesh went to Chattogram definitely taking Afghanistan very lightly. Bangladesh had opportunity for exposing some of batsmen a bit early to quality Afghan spin attack over the lone two days warm up match. But they preferred not too.
Afghan batsmen gave Bangladesh a practical lesson how to grind, graft and build innings against quality batting scoring 341 runs in the first innings. Rahmat Shah played a superb innings of 102 inscribing his name as the first test century scorer for Afghanistan. Another quality batsman former captain Asghar Afghan scoring 92 just missed the century. Captain Rashid produced a flamboyant 51 studded with quality strokes. None of the Afghans threw away their wickets demonstrating guts and application. The only consolation for Bangladesh was left arm spinner Taijul Islam taking 4/116 became the quickest among the Bangladeshi bowlers and only the third in test taking over 100 wickets. Leading spinners Shakib and Miraj failed to impress. Bangladesh lacked the service of a pacer to change pace and creating issues for tailenders.
On the same wicket where much more experienced Bangladesh spinners failed to cause much headache for Afghans, the quality Afghan spinners made Bangladesh dance to their tune. Had not Mosaddek and Taijul did some rear guard actions Bangladesh innings of 205 all out would not have been possible . Bangladesh would have the ignominy of following on. Only Mominul with 52 looked in his element for a while but he too gave it away. Mosaddek batting at 8 remained not out scoring 48. As expected Rashid Khan was the peak of the Afghan bowlers taking 5/55. Nabi (3/56) was the other tormentor.
Bangladesh conceded 137 runs first innings lead. It was sheer spineless irresponsible batting. Shakib, Mushfiq and Mahmudullah together contributed only 18 runs. Afghan second innings started disastrously with Shakib striking twice in the very first over and Nayeem pricing out one soon. But showing great character Afghans fought back led by a 19 years old Ibrahim Zadran ( 87) and Asghar Afghan (50) scoring his second fifty of the match. Captain Rashid in his brief innings of 24 struck 5 scorching boundaries in one over of of Nayeem. Afghanistan could reach 260 all out in their second innings reaching an impregnable position with 397 runs ahead.
On a wearing wicket against some world class wrist spinners, an unorthodox China man bowler it was a huge task. Bangladesh again batted poorly. For reasons best known to skipper Shakib he shuffled his batting order. Mosaddek was sent batting at three. Quality top order Mominul Haque came at five and first innings opener Soumya at eight. It was unsure what the Bangladesh champion meant. The consequence is Bangladesh reeling at 136/6. Liton, Mosaddek, Mushfiq, Mahmudullah and Mominul all failed. Only young Shadman (41) tried to guts it out. When rain and bad light brought early stumps Shakib was batting on 39 and Soumya just joined him. Bangladesh finishing at 136/6 is still 262 runs away. Top dog Rashid Khan (3/46) is still on the hunt and left arm mystery bowler Zakir Khan mesmerized the Bangladeshis.
Weather forecast is not that great. Bangladesh can only be rescued from total humiliation if heaven opens up and final days play is washed out.
BUT A GREAT WIN OF AFGHANISTAN FROM HERE WILL BE POETIC JUSTIC.
BDST: 1048 HRS, SEPT 9, 2019
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