Chattogram [Bangladesh], July 8 : Blistering centuries from Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz followed by bowlers' sublime performance helped Afghanistan clinch a runs win over Afghanistan in the second ODI here at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Saturday.
Afghanistan became the second side to win the ODI series in Bangladesh in the last eight years after England.
Afghanistan completed their first bilateral ODI series victory against Bangladesh by dominating the home team in the second match in Chattogram with a 142-run victory. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 145 while Ibrahim Zadran savoured a century as they combined for a record-breaking opening stand of 256 runs.
Zadran and Gurbaz put on the highest partnership for Afghanistan in the format during the second ODI. With a clinical all-round show from the team, Afghanistan sealed the series 2-0 with a game in hand.
The home team could only manage 189 for 9 in 43.2 overs in response to the visitors' daunting 331/9 total. With three wickets each, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi, together with Rashid Khan's two wickets, made sure Bangladesh's chase never got going. It is the largest ODI victory for Afghanistan over Bangladesh.
Defending a target of 331, Afghanistan got off to a fine start as their bowlers put up a fierce bowling display dismissing opener and captain Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto in under 6 overs.
Bangladesh's batters rarely made any progress. In the first nine overs, Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed both of the openers, Litton Das and Mohammad Naim. When Litton top-edged a pull ball to Nabi at short midwicket in the fifth over, the left-arm quick constricted Litton. Against a short ball from Farooqi, Naim played onto his stumps
After taking the wicket of Bangladesh captain, Fazalhaq Farooqi struck again to remove Mohammad Naim for 9. Shakib Al Hasan however, tried to hold the fort for his team as he slammed 11 runs off Mohammad Saleem Safi's over.
Mujeeb produced the some best deliveries of the ODI series to bag a wicket, a 100 kph delivery that zeroed in on the middle stump before swerving sharply to hit Najmul Hossain Shanto's off-stump.
Bangladesh put up a brief fight after that, but Rashid Khan put an end to their dreams with two gorgeous googlies. The first was a peach that snuck past Towhid Hridoy's prod in the front. He misread the hand and was out for 16, being bowled. Afif edged the opening ball to Mohammad Nabi at slip after getting a bad bounce.
Nabi took Shakib's wicket in the 18th over, placing him between these two wickets. After making 25 out of 29 balls, the all-rounder missed an arm ball that swung towards him.
When Mehidy and Mushfiqur Rahim accumulated 87 runs for the seventh wicket, Bangladesh's tail rapidly collapsed after they were split up in the 37th over. The final victim, Mushfiqur, pulled a catch for Farooqi, giving him his third victim and Afghanistan the series.
Earlier, The 218 runs stand by Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Shahzad for the second wicket against Scotland in 2010 was surpassed by Gurbaz and Zadran, who also formed Afghanistan's greatest ODI partnership on any wicket. Taking nine wickets for 75 runs in the final 14 overs of Afghanistan's innings, Bangladesh's bowlers did mount a comeback. But after the significant first stand, it was never enough.
As soon as play began, Gurbaz and Zadran teed off, scoring eight boundaries in the opening Powerplay. This included Gurbaz's first sixes, both in the eighth over, both off Mustafizur Rahman, a straight six over the bowler's head and a strong pull. In the next over, Towhid Hridoy missed a difficult opportunity sprinting in from long-off, and Zadran managed to survive.
The first wicket triggered Afghanistan into a batting collapse as the subsequent batters only tried big hits.
Prior to having Najibullah Zadran caught at long-on in the 44th over, Mehidy Hasan Miraz had bowled skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi for two runs in the over after. Shortly after scoring a century, Ibrahim Zadran was dismissed after being top-edged by Mustafizur Rahman. Before the tail gave way and Mohammad Nabi was left stranded on an unbeaten 25 off 15 balls, Shakib had Rashid Khan stumped for six.
With just 41 runs given away in nine of the final 14 overs, Mustafizur, Mehidy, and Shakib demonstrated excellent control. Additionally, they each took two wickets. Ebadot only claimed one victim, while Hasan Mahmud also claimed two wickets.
Brief score: Afghanistan 331/9 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 145, Ibrahim Zadran 100; Shakib Al Hasan 2-50) vs Bangladesh 189/10 (Mushfiqur Rahim 69, Shakib Al Hasan 25; Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-22).
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