Bangladesh opener Liton Das’ fifth one-day international hundred inspired the hosts to a comprehensive 88-run victory against visitors Afghanistan in the second and penultimate ODI at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city Friday.
With the win, Bangladesh registered a series victory with a game to spare. Bangladesh, playing their first ODI bilateral series in seven months, had started the series with a four-wicket victory in the first game on the back of brilliant efforts by Afif Hossain and Mehedi Hasan Miraz.
The hosts also made it to the top of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League standing. With 100 points and 10 wins in 14 games, Bangladesh are now at the summit, leapfrogging England, who have 95 points and nine wins in 15 matches. Bangladesh ahead of the start of the series against Afghanistan were at No 2 in the table with 80 points.
The home side batted first after winning the toss and despite a shaky start - losing Tamim Iqbal [12] and Shakib al Hasan [20] early - posted 306 losing just four wickets after 50 overs. Liton emerged as the hero of the day with 136 runs off 126 as he put on a record stand with Mushfiqur Rahim before getting dismissed in the 47th over. Liton held his nerve and played with elegance taking on the opposition bowlers every time there was an opportunity and laced the innings with 16 boundaries and two over boundaries.
The right-handed batter first reached his fifty in 65 deliveries. On his journey towards his seventh century across all formats, Liton was lucky to get dropped at cover on 87. The 27-year old though soon reached his second ODI century in last five innings, off 107 deliveries through a lifted shot over cover for a boundary off Rashid Khan.
He then stretched the score to the sixth highest individual in an innings by a Bangladesh batter. Liton is now the fastest batter to score five ODI centuries – in just 49 innings. Liton is followed by star all-rounder Shakib, who took 93 innings to score five centuries in the format. At No 3 is Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal who registered his fifth ODI hundred in 141 innings.
Mushfiq from the other end of the crease added 86 runs before falling in the very next delivery following Liton's depature. The wicketkeeper-batter had partnered with Liton for 202 runs - Bangladesh's highest third wicket partnership and fourth highest stand in terms of runs.
Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain finished the innings adding unbeaten six and 13 runs respectively on the board. Defending the total, Bangladesh bowling unit found breakthroughs at regular intervals and denied the Afghans from partnerships. Tamim used seven bowlers in his defense and got the reward of each picking at least one wicket.
Right-arm seamer Taskin Ahmed excelled among the pacers with two scalps, and gave away just 31 runs in 10 overs. Left-arm spinner Shakib also bagged two conceding 38 runs in his stipulated overs.
Afghanistan had two half-centuries in the innings – 52 from opener Rahmat Shah and another 54 from Najibullah Zadran in the middle-order, and both had fallen victim to Taskin's best laid plans. Eighty nine runs for the fourth wicket between these two batters was the highest partnership but not even close enough to accomplishing the chase.
With the win, Bangladesh registered a series victory with a game to spare. Bangladesh, playing their first ODI bilateral series in seven months, had started the series with a four-wicket victory in the first game on the back of brilliant efforts by Afif Hossain and Mehedi Hasan Miraz.
The hosts also made it to the top of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League standing. With 100 points and 10 wins in 14 games, Bangladesh are now at the summit, leapfrogging England, who have 95 points and nine wins in 15 matches. Bangladesh ahead of the start of the series against Afghanistan were at No 2 in the table with 80 points.
The home side batted first after winning the toss and despite a shaky start - losing Tamim Iqbal [12] and Shakib al Hasan [20] early - posted 306 losing just four wickets after 50 overs. Liton emerged as the hero of the day with 136 runs off 126 as he put on a record stand with Mushfiqur Rahim before getting dismissed in the 47th over. Liton held his nerve and played with elegance taking on the opposition bowlers every time there was an opportunity and laced the innings with 16 boundaries and two over boundaries.
The right-handed batter first reached his fifty in 65 deliveries. On his journey towards his seventh century across all formats, Liton was lucky to get dropped at cover on 87. The 27-year old though soon reached his second ODI century in last five innings, off 107 deliveries through a lifted shot over cover for a boundary off Rashid Khan.
He then stretched the score to the sixth highest individual in an innings by a Bangladesh batter. Liton is now the fastest batter to score five ODI centuries – in just 49 innings. Liton is followed by star all-rounder Shakib, who took 93 innings to score five centuries in the format. At No 3 is Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal who registered his fifth ODI hundred in 141 innings.
Mushfiq from the other end of the crease added 86 runs before falling in the very next delivery following Liton's depature. The wicketkeeper-batter had partnered with Liton for 202 runs - Bangladesh's highest third wicket partnership and fourth highest stand in terms of runs.
Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain finished the innings adding unbeaten six and 13 runs respectively on the board. Defending the total, Bangladesh bowling unit found breakthroughs at regular intervals and denied the Afghans from partnerships. Tamim used seven bowlers in his defense and got the reward of each picking at least one wicket.
Right-arm seamer Taskin Ahmed excelled among the pacers with two scalps, and gave away just 31 runs in 10 overs. Left-arm spinner Shakib also bagged two conceding 38 runs in his stipulated overs.
Afghanistan had two half-centuries in the innings – 52 from opener Rahmat Shah and another 54 from Najibullah Zadran in the middle-order, and both had fallen victim to Taskin's best laid plans. Eighty nine runs for the fourth wicket between these two batters was the highest partnership but not even close enough to accomplishing the chase.
