Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar wreaked havoc and helped his team win by 92 runs
When Afghanistan’s spinner Allah Ghazanfar wreaked havoc and helped his team win the first ODI in Sharjah by 92 runs, Bangladesh slipped from 132/3 to 143 all out, losing their final seven wickets for 11 runs. In his second stint, Ghazanfar ran through Bangladesh’s middle and lower order, taking five wickets in 11 balls.
With Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz at the crease, Bangladesh was easily reaching its small 236-run mark when Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi lobbed the ball to Allah Ghazanfar. The young spinner had taken a wicket for 21 runs in his first four overs. Nothing concerning. However, those who have followed his ascent are aware that Ghazanfar is highly adept at altering the outcome of a game in a matter of overs. On Wednesday evening, he accomplished it in a stylish manner.
After Afghanistan won the toss and batted first, they were bowled for 235 in 49.4 overs, with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi scoring a calm 52. Mohammad Nabi then scored 84 off 79 balls.
After captain Najmul Hossain (47), Mehidy Hasan (28), and Ghazanfar (playing his sixth ODI) had set up Bangladesh for a successful chase, Ghazanfar caused a collapse.
Before Bangladesh’s wheels fell off, opener Soumya Sarkar also scored 33.
After Nabi got rid of Najmul, Ghazanfar took over in his fifth over. When Mehidy received a top edge while attempting to sweep in the fourth ball of the over, he was dismissed. Then in his following over, Ghazanfar took three more wickets.
Before bowling Taskin Ahmed for a first-ball duck, he had Rishad Hossain lbw and Mushfiqur Rahim stumped, both for one.
With the wicket of Shoriful Islam, Ghazanfar concluded the game and recorded the highest scores in all Bangladesh-Afghanistan ODIs, surpassing Shakib Al Hasan’s 5-29 at Southampton in 2019.
“Allah Ghazanfar has a unique gift.”
“Allah Ghazanfar is a driven young man who aspires to succeed in everything. “He’s a unique talent who will help Afghanistan win games,” Shahidi remarked. “When I was batting with Nabi we thought a 230-plus total would be enough with our bowling.”
Najmul expressed regret for Bangladesh’s poor batting performance and took some of the responsibility for it.
“I think my wicket turned the match,” Najmul said. “I was the set batsman so when I got out we needed to bat longer but credit to Afghanistan spinners for the way they bowled.”
Before Nabi and Shahidi put up an innings-repairing 104 runs for the sixth wicket to help the side to a respectable total, Afghanistan was already in danger at 35-4.
Taskin and Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh’s pace combo, both claimed four wickets.
The remaining games will be place in Sharjah on November 9 and 11.
