Bangladesh鈥檚 woe in the 50-over format continued as they lost to Afghanistan in the first of the three-match ODI series by five wickets at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.听
Opting to bat first, the Tigers were restricted to 221 in 48.5 overs. In reply, Afghanistan reached 226-5 home with 17 balls remaining.听
For the Afghans, Azmatullah Omarzai took 3-40 and then made 40 give his team a 1-0 lead in the series.
Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz laid a strong base in the chase as they added 52 runs in the opening partnership before Ibrahim was stumped off Tanvir Islam for 23 off 25.听
Tanzim Hasan removed Sediqullah Atal quickly as Bangladesh saw an opening. However, Rahmat Shah and Gurbaz frustrated them with a partnership of 78 runs for the third wicket.听
Both were dismissed for exactly 50 runs, five balls apart from one another, when Afghanistan were at 136 runs.听
But they replied with another fifty-run partnership, this time between captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Omarzai.听
Tanzim got his third when Omarzai, who made 40 off 44, was caught at midwicket with Afghanistan needing 31 runs.听
Hashmatullah remained unbeaten on 33 when Mohammad Nabi sealed the victory with a six off Saif Hassan.听
Earlier, Bangladesh became 25-2 inside the sixth over when Omarzai had both Tanzid and Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Saif, on his ODI debut, carried his T20I form into the 50-over as he struck five boundaries to make 26 off 33 balls. But a string of four dots brought his downfall when he was caught off Nangeyalia Kharote.
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Towhid Hridoy first rebuilt and then laid a base for a strong finish with a partnership of 101 runs off 142 deliveries.听
But Bangladesh were shaken when Towhid, who made 60 off 87, was run out after a mix-up with his captain.听
However, Mehidy seemed unperturbed before his counterpart Rashid Khan came for his final spell.听
The Bangladesh captain was trapped lbw after making 56, and a collapse followed. Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan both embraced the same fate of Mehidy.
Rashid finished with a figure of 3-38.
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Hasan Mahmud and Tanvir Islam, while Omarzai had Tanzim Hasan in between them.听
The second ODI is scheduled on October 11 at the same venue.听
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