Photo: Firoz Ahmed
Bangladesh have come up with a different strategy in the game’s shortest format this year, and it worked again to some extent against Afghanistan in the first of the two-match T20I series at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
The team selection offers six genuine bowling options for the Tigers, with Mehedi Hasan Miraz playing the role of the all-rounder alongside skipper Shakib Al Hasan. Also, a third spin option exists in the form of another left-armer Nasum Ahmed.
Over the past twelve months, Bangladesh’s bowling record in the first six overs of T20Is has been incredible as they lead the charts with lowest economy rates, of 7.20.
Earlier this year, their miserly bowling helped restricting England to near-150 scores and Bangladesh went on to whitewash the world champions.
Keeping in mind the average first-innings total of 153 in Sylhet – and considering that team batting second went on to win seven out of eight games so far — it was a good toss to win for Shakib who did not hesitate to ask the visitors to bat.
Nasum was handed the new ball to start the proceedings and he gave Bangladesh the breakthrough in his second over as Hazraullah Zazai was dismissed after scoring eight.
The hosts kept mounting pressure on the visitors with Taskin Ahmed picking up the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored a brisk 16 off 11 deliveries.
The pressure of losing both openers inside the Powerplay, coupled with the urge to score as many runs until the field restrictions were over, got to the visitors as Bangladesh managed to hurt the visitors further.
Thus, Afghanistan — sitting at the bottom of the table in terms of Powerplay run-rate in the past year, having registered 7.18 in that regard — felt the heat, courtesy of some tight bowling from the Tigers.
Shoriful Islam, player of the match in the third ODI, then joined the party. The left-arm quick removed Ibrahim Zadran, caught behind after scoring eight, and Afghanistan could only manage to score 40 for three in the Powerplay.
The variety of options in the Bangladesh bowling attack kept the Afghanistan batters in search of that big over. Shakib soon came into the act and the Bangladesh talisman dismissed Karim Janat, aided by Najmul Hossain Shanto who took a brilliant catch running from long off.
At that point, Afghanistan were reeling at 52 for four inside eight overs. It appeared that the they may not even go on to post near 120.
However, the visitors did manage to bounce back well. Experienced campaigner Mohammad Nabi alongside Najibullah Zadran added a quick 35-run partnership for the fifth wicket before the latter was dismissed by Miraz after scoring a run-a-ball 23.
Nabi remained firm at the other end as he went on to smash his fifth T20I fifty. He made sure the visitors would surpass the average first-innings total at the venue.
Unlike the Powerplay, Bangladesh’s economy rate in the death overs leaves a lot to be desired. The past year’s statistics in that regard show that the Tigers occupy the seventh spot.
So, it did not come as a surprise as Afghanistan went on to add 60 runs in the last five overs. Azmatullah Omarzai played an 18-ball 33-run cameo, striking four sixes, while Nabi remained unbeaten on 54 off 40.
Nevertheless, despite the late onslaught by Nabi and Omarzai, Bangladesh can take positives from their tight bowling in Powerplay and the fact that their fielding was on point.
