The underdogs of ICC World Cup, Bangladesh have given some of their best performances, making their stay in the World Cup a little more evident. They have put out some of the exceptional contest often scaring far superior teams like, West Indies and Australia and might possibly qualify for the semis.
With another tremendous effort to show their potential and worth for the game, Bangladesh impressed the world while they knocked out Afghanistan despite their good fight-back. As Afghanistan opted to bowl, openers Liton Das (16 out; 17b; 2X4) and Tamim Iqbal (36 out; 53b; 4X4) were just settling in when, Liton Das hits the ball by Mujeeb Ur Rahman to the fielder at cover who does take the catch, but it raised a lot of confusion on whether it was grassed on not, but due to lack of evidence Das had to go, on the call of the on-field umpires. The experienced former skipper of Bangladesh, Shakib-Al-Hasan (51 out; 69b; 1X4) steps in to take charge of the situation. The duo was looking good and slowly working towards a defendable target but Iqbal gets out in a while. Mushfiqur Rahim (83 out; 87b; 4X4, 1X6) batted the same way he batted against Australia contributing a good amount to the total. But after Shakib’s dismissal Soumya Sarkar was quick to head back as well. Mahmudullah (27 out; 38b; 2X4) along with Rahim and after Rahim’s dismissal Mohammed Hossain (35 out; 24b; 4X4) delivered cameos to boast the total up to 262 with the loss of 7 wickets.
To win the odds against Bangladesh, Afghanistan needed to boast a strong partnership and also keep the scoreboard ticking without consuming too many deliveries, which they did in the previous match against India. But captain Gulbadin Naib (47 out; 75b; 3X4) and Rahmat Shah (24 out; 35b; 3X4) though had a likable start but after few overs they were still not managing to score at least a single at a regular pace as eventually it would make the difference between the runs and the balls too much. The dangerous man, Shakib-Al-Hasan was sent to make a breakthrough, and the champion delivers with Shah’s wicket. He went on to take 3 more wickets finish off the Afghanistan top order. After Rahmat Shah’s wicket, captain Naib at 47, along with 3 other batsmen of the top order collapsed without contributing much, consuming too many balls, while chasing a target like 263, in a big ground like Rose Bowl Cricket Ground, England. Shakib completed his 5-wicket haul with Najibullah Zadran (23 out; 23b; 2X4), with the help of keeper Mushfiqur Rahim. Samiullah Shenwari (49 out; 51b; 3X4, 1X6) batted till the end but his partners were unable to keep their wickets and Mushtafizur Rahman scalps 2 and Mohammed Saifuddin dismissed the last man Mujeeb Ur Rahman (0 out; 4b) to make their World Cup stay a memorable one.
