In Sharjah, Bangladesh began their ODI series against Afghanistan with a devastating batting collapse, leading to a major defeat despite a promising start in the first match. Needing a win to stay in the three-match series, the second game was a do-or-die situation for Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team. However, key batters struggled to perform, failing to show the approach expected of them. Yet, amid the struggles, Nasum Ahmed and debutant Zaker Ali Anik brought a glimmer of hope to Bangladesh’s batting.
After winning the toss on Saturday (November 9), Bangladesh opted to bat first and started cautiously. They lost opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim at 28 runs, with Ghazanfar taking his wicket. What followed was a test-like approach to the ODI format, as captain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar focused on testing the patience of the Afghan bowlers. Their partnership yielded 71 runs off 93 balls before Soumya, after scoring 35 off 49 balls, fell to Rashid Khan’s LBW trap. A review could have saved him, as replays showed the ball pitched outside leg-stump.
Shanto was later joined by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and they put up a 50-plus stand. However, the momentum shifted when Rashid Khan bowled Shanto. This marked the beginning of Bangladesh’s batting unraveling. At 152/3, Bangladesh lost three seasoned batters, adding just 32 more runs. The collapse began with Towhid Hridoy, who departed after scoring 11 off 16 balls. Soon after, Mahmudullah Riyad was dismissed, continuing his streak of low scores in ODIs with a mere three runs.
During this period of struggle, Zaker Ali Anik and Nasum Ahmed injected life into the innings. With Mushfiqur Rahim injured and leg-spinner Rishad left out, Zaker and Nasum were brought into the playing XI. Making his ODI debut as Bangladesh’s 149th player, Zaker, along with Nasum, helped Bangladesh push beyond the 250-run mark. Without their contributions, Bangladesh might have seen a similar collapse to the first game.
