Batting Collapse in Sharjah Knocks Bangladesh Out of Tri-Series as Afghanistan and Zimbabwe Reach the Final
Bangladesh never even got close in Sharjah. Needing not just a win but a win by a precise margin, they produced a wretched batting display followed by disappointing bowling and lost to Afghanistan by seven wickets, crashing out of the tri-nation series. Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will now contest the final.
Bangladesh won the toss at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and batted first, but the collapse began almost immediately: four wickets fell for just 28 runs, and the day's course was set. With the first four batters back inside seven overs, thoughts of the qualification margin gave way to simply posting a respectable total. In the end, Bangladesh were bowled out for 160 in 41.2 overs.
In one-day cricket, 160 is not a competitive total by any measure. The manner of the dismissals also raised questions, with batters edging balls outside off stump and dragging deliveries onto their stumps. Only three Bangladesh batters reached double figures in the entire innings.
That the total even passed one hundred was down to opener Saif Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon, who had joined the side as Litton Das's replacement. Their 93-run fifth-wicket stand was the innings' only real resistance. Parvez played a fine knock of 70 off 96 balls with five fours and two sixes, while Saif batted at under a run a ball as he rebuilt alongside him.
The stand broke in the 32nd over when Saif, advancing to hit Mohammad Nabi, was caught. In the very next over, Miraz, the last recognised batting partner, fell pulling, just two balls after being dropped playing the same shot. Parvez was eighth out in the 40th over, lbw to Rashid Khan, and the innings folded within two more overs. Najmul Hossain Shanto made 15, while Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Aliss Al Islam and Mustafizur Rahman all departed without scoring.
Among the Afghan bowlers, Rashid Khan took four wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai and Yamin Ahmadzai took two each, while Bilal Sami and Mohammad Nabi claimed one apiece.
Bangladesh's qualification equation was even harsher than winning: to reach the final they had to restrict Afghanistan to 119. But Afghanistan crossed 119 in the 27th over of the chase, confirming Bangladesh's elimination on the spot. Afghanistan completed a seven-wicket win in the 36th over, with 87 balls to spare.
Rahmat Shah top-scored in the chase with an unbeaten 67 off 90 balls, including five fours. Hashmatullah Shahidi made an unbeaten 36 off 54 balls and Ibrahim Zadran 34 off 48. Taskin Ahmed briefly raised hopes by removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal inside the powerplay, but Rahmat's fifty extinguished them; Taskin finished with two wickets and Mustafizur with one.
The defeat means Bangladesh, beaten earlier by Zimbabwe as well, failed to reach anywhere near 200 in either match of the series. They had begun the tournament against two teams of similar strength with high hopes, yet they are not only far from the title, they have not even reached the final. Afghanistan will face Zimbabwe, who beat Bangladesh at the start of the tournament, in the final the day after tomorrow.
Questions about the batters' repeated failures have only grown louder during this series, and there is little time to find answers: next October, Bangladesh must play the World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The Tigers return from the Emirates tour carrying deep frustration.
