Bangladesh faces off against Afghanistan in a group B crunch encounter of Asia Cup 2023. The Bangladeshi boys had to make an immense shift in order to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. The Afghans’ opening match was a chance to start their journey on a positive note before facing Sri Lanka in the final game. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore was the battling arena for the rising giants.
Team Lineups
The two teams fielded strong lineups in search of securing maximum points.
Bangladesh:
1. Shakib Al Hasan (C), 2. Mohammad Naim 3. Mehidy Hasan 4. Towhid Hridoy 5. Najmul Hossain Shanto 6. Mushfiqur Rahim 7. Shamim Hossain 8. Afif Hossain 9. Shoriful Islam 10. Taskin Ahmed 11. Hasan Mahmud
Afghanistan:
1. Hashmatullah Shahidi 2.Rahmanullah Gurbaz 3.Ibrahim Zadran 4.Rahmat Shah 5. Najibullah Zadran 6. Mohammad Nabi 7. Gulbadin Naib 8. Karim Janat 9. Rashid Khan 10. Fazalhaq Farooqi 11. Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and elected to bat on a plain-looking surface in Lahore.
Key Performances
Mehidy Hasan has been hailed as the one who would replace the vacant space left by Shakib Al Hasan in the near future. The boy from Khulna lit up the arena in Lahore with the bat. Despite being affected by a back strain, he showed brilliant stroke play mixed with a cool head.
Najmul Hossain Shanto continued his red-hot form coming into this tournament. The 24-year-old left-hander played all around the park for his brilliant innings of 104. The much-maligned top-order batsman has finally come good, and the Bangladeshi fans will hope this may continue.
In the face of Bangladeshi dominance, the Afghan bowlers were not capable of holding the reins. Gulbadin Naib started off in a brilliant fashion by dismissing Hridoy with a wonderful outswinger.
Captaincy and Tactics
Shakib Al Hasan predictably opted for batting on a flat deck in Lahore. His masterstroke came in the form of Mehidy, the all-rounder who was promoted to the open innings. The all-rounder scored a brilliant century before leaving the field with a sprained wrist. During the Afghan innings, his clever bowling changes induced breakthroughs.
Alternatively, Hashmatullah Shahidi’s inexperience showed through his bowling changes. He delayed the introduction of Rashid Khan till the 15th over of Bangladesh. The marauding pair of Shanto and Mehidy played Rashid with relative ease in the later part of the innings. His handling of part-timer Karim Janat throughout the innings could also be called into question.
Turning Point
Mushfiqur Rahim took a brilliant catch by diving spectacularly to his right. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (75) was stamping his authority in the game by punishing the bowlers for their waywardness. Afghanistan was fighting well against (131/3, 27.2 overs) the ever-mounting asking rate up to that point. Hasan Mahmud removed him with the help of veteran Mushfiq’s aerobics and delivered the breakthrough his skipper craved.
Bowling Analysis
Gaddafi Stadium has always had a reputation of being known as a batting paradise. It proved to be the case as the bowlers toiled hard in the sweltering Lahore heat. World-class spinners like Rashid and Mujeeb failed to make their marks in the game and conceded runs at a hemorrhaging rate.
Fazalhaq Farooqi started swinging the ball in the early hours, but he also struggled once the ball lost its shine. Mohammad Nabi kept things tight with good length bowling and went for 50 in 10 overs.
The Bangladeshi pacers had a promising start on their outset to defend the big total. Shoriful Islam used angles well and got rid of Rahmanullah early.
Taskin Ahmed’s seething pace constantly challenged the rhythm of the batsmen. The Dhaka-born pacer got 4 for 44 as his redemption arc continues to take shape.
Shakib Al Hasan had a surprisingly dull outing with the ball as he failed to claim any scalp. Shoriful was economical (3-36) and took wickets at regular intervals.
Batting Analysis
The Asia Cup 2023 has already witnessed some monumental batting performances. Mehidy Hasan and Nazmul Hossain Shanto worked in unison to torment the Afghani bowlers. They used their feet well and played shots on the front foot.
Shakib Al Hasan didn’t need a second invitation to join the party and manoeuvered the ball all around the pitch for his quickfire 41. Shamim Hossain announced his arrival on the world stage with a flamboyant no-look six off the first delivery on debut.
The Afghani batting was a different tale entirely. Players like Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah & Hashmatullah Shahidi had started but eventually got themselves out in a cheap fashion. Zadran gallantly faced the Bangladeshi quicks and raced quickly to the seventies.
Captain Hashmatullah also cut, swept, and pulled to good effect but was sent back by a benign delivery from Shoriful. Rashid Khan came with a late flurry of fireworks 24(15), but it was never going to be enough for the Afghans.
Fielding
The Afghani ground fielding was impressive. Fleet-footed Zadran moved swiftly to save valuable runs for his side. But the catching department let them down as Nabi failed to grab on.
The Bangladeshi fielding was outstanding from the early proceedings. Mushfiq was in outstanding form behind the wickets and latched onto everything thrown towards him. Substitute Anamul chipped in with an unerring direct hit to dismantle Janat. Afif plucked one under the lights to send Nabi back.
Player of the Match
Bangladeshi all-rounder Mehidy Hasan was adjudicated the man of the match for his match-winning knock of 112 runs and taking a wicket with the ball.
Match Result
Bangladesh recorded their first win in Asia Cup 2023 by beating Afghanistan comprehensively by an 89-run margin.
Brief Scorecard
| Bangladesh: 334/5 (50 overs) | Afghanistan: 245/10 (44.3 overs) |
| Mehidy Hasan 112 (119) | Ibrahim Zadran 74(75) |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto 104 (105) | Hashmatullah Shahidi 51(60) |
| Gulbadin Naib 1/58 | Taskin Ahmed 4/44 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1/62 | Shoriful Islam 3/36 |
Match Wrap-Up
After the hammering in the hands of co-host Sri Lanka, the Bengal Tigers came back strongly with a memorable win. Magnificent centuries from Mehidy and Shanto helped Bangladesh post a colossal total of 334.
In reply, Ibrahim Zadran fought valiantly in the face of adversity. But the Bangladeshi attack, complemented by a dazzling fielding display, bowled the Afghans out at 245. Taskin Ahmed’s express pace claimed four wickets and delivered the mortal blow.
If Afghanistan beats Sri Lanka in the final clash in Group B, then the teams will be separated based on run rate. As Bangladesh have already qualified mathematically, now it’s a race between the Afghans and the Lankans for a berth in the last four. The Asia Cup never fails to deliver, with surprises waiting at every turn!
