Photo: Firoz Ahmed
Bangladesh cricket has been in a state of total chaos over the past 48 hours or so since the retirement saga surrounding Tamim Iqbal in the midst of their three-match ODI series against Afghanistan and that reflected on the field yesterday in the second ODI in Chattogram.
The off-field distraction that saw the ODI captain shockingly leave the team impacted the hosts, who were looking to save the series after losing the first ODI by 17 runs (DLS method) on Wednesday.
Bangladesh looked wayward and off course ever since stand-in captain Liton Das elected to bowl as
Afghan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran came out all-guns-blazing. Both openers scored centuries during a 256-run partnership — the highest by an Afghan duo in ODIs — as the visitors piled up a huge total of 331 for nine in 50 overs.
Gurbaz and Zadran made Bangladesh’s bowling attack look ordinary, with the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain being smashed all around the park.
None of the seamers were able to get any purchase from a surface that was rather flat compared to the previous game and, when the situation looked dire and demanded something different, the bowlers remained toothless.
Even a player like Shakib Al Hasan looked ordinary in the face of a terrific batting display from Gurbaz, who was the first to smash his fourth ODI hundred overall and second against Bangladesh. Ibrahim Zadran also joined the party by registering his fourth ODI century.
Shakib eventually broke the record opening stand by dismissing Gurbaz after he had scored 145 off 125 deliveries with the help of 13 fours and eight sixes. Ibrahim followed him back to the pavilion soon and although a solid platform was laid, the hosts managed to pull things back afterwards.
At one point, a total near 350 seemed reachable for Afghanistan, but they managed to add just 75 runs in the last 14 overs for the loss of nine wickets. Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shakib and Mehedi Hasan Miraz bagged two wickets each, but the damage had already been done.
With the Asia Cup and World Cup later this year expected to feature sporting pitches, it will be important for the Tigers think-tank to come up with ideas about how the team can have an impact in such conditions, especially after yesterday’s display.
The situation did not get any better after Bangladesh went out for their innings, faced with the challenge of completing their highest successful ODI chase, as the top order collapsed miserably against a quality bowling attack.
Liton failed yet again after being caught at short mid-wicket while trying to pull Fazalhaq Farooqi and departed for 13 while the in-from Najmul Hossain Shanto was bowled by a brilliant Mujeeb Ur Rahman delivery after scoring just one run.
Naim Sheikh, who staged a comeback to the side as a replacement for Tamim, also failed to fire. He was dismissed after a laborious 21-ball nine-run knock, which left the hosts tottering on 25 for three inside the Powerplay.
Things quickly went from bad to worse. Mushfiqur Rahim put up a solo resistance by scoring 69 runs, but Bangladesh could only reach 189 for nine, with Ebadot unable to come out to bat due to injury.
 It seemed that the off-field chaos had indeed affected the Tigers.
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