Afghans tame timid Tigers to finish T20I series 1-1

Afghanistan spoiled Mushfiqur Rahim's party for becoming the only second Bangladeshi cricketer to reach 100 T20I games as they beat the hosts by 8 wickets and finished the T20I series 1-1. Bangladesh, despite scoring a paltry 115 runs in the first innings, had their fair share of chances to fight back in the match but the missed chances proved too costly for them. 

Afghanistan started off slowly in their chase of 116 runs. To defend such a small total, Bangladesh needed some early wickets and it seemed Bangladesh spinners would repeat their wicket feast like the first match early in the Afghanistan innings. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, who broke the backbone of Afghanistan batting in the first game, almost provided a breakthrough in the very first over like, but he dropped a sitter off his own delivery as Hazratullah Zazai skied one in the third delivery of the innings. The hosts didn't have to wait too long for their first breakthrough though.

Mahedi Hasan came in to bowl the next over and picked up the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz just two balls after he survived an LBW appeal as Afghanistan were reduced to 4 for 1. Since then it was all Hazratullah Zazai  and Usman Ghani. 

The duo batted comfortably as there was no pressure of big runs on the board. They reached 34 for 1 after the first powerplay. 

Zazai and Ghani both were going for less than run a ball till eight overs. Zazai then hit two sixes off Shakib's over and the floodgate opened. 

Ghani struck two boundaries in the next over off Shoriful Islam. There was no looking back from thereon. 

Zazai eventually remained not out on 59 from 45 balls to guide his team home. Ghani was dismissed by Mahmudullah Riyad for 47 when Afghanistan needed only 13 runs to win.

Mahedi was unlucky to see two catches being dropped off his delivery, Ghani was the batter both times. 

Earlier, Bangladesh were restricted to a paltry 115 for 9 after their allocated 20 overs.

Apart from skipper Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim who is playing his 100th T20I, no other batter could find their feet at the crease.

Afghanistan had the hosts on a tight leash, hardly gave anything away and were rewarded with early wickets. Every batter tried to break the shackles with some big hits, but nothing went their way.

Only three batters - Litton Das, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim - scored at a strike rate of more than 100. 

Munim Shahriar, who made his T20I debut in the first game, looked clueless to Fazalhaq Farooqi in the very first over before giving away his wicket in the second over of the match. He made only 4 off 10 deliveries. 

His opening partner, Naim Sheikh, who has been in terrible form, was run-out for 13 off 19. But before him, Litton Das was trapped by Azmatullah Omarzai in the fifth over after Litton hit Farooqi for a six in the previous over. 

Bangladesh at one stage were reduced to 4 for 45 when Shakib Al Hasan followed the previous batters for a poor show of T20I batting. He was dismissed for 9 off 15. 

At that point, only Litton Das scored at more than run a ball among the four dismissed batters.

Mahmudullah and Mushfiq then built a 43-run partnership in 5.1 overs and were starting to accelerate. But Mahmudullah was the first to go for 30 off 25 balls. He was eventually the top scorer for the hosts.

Mushfiq kept on fighting for a while after the skipper was gone, but he too was dismissed before Bangladesh reached 100.

The hosts couldn't hit a boundary for more than six overs from the sixth to the twelfth over of the innings before Mahmudullah opened the gate against Rashid Khan. 

Afif Hossain and Mahedi Hasan all wasted their chance to eventually guide Bangladesh past 120. 

For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai and Fazalhaq Farooqi wreaked havoc with both bagging three wickets each. Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan picked up a wicket each.

Ahead of the match, Bangladesh and Afghanistan players along with team staff and match officials observed a minute's silence in memory of Warne and Marsh.