Bangladesh didn’t take long to bounce back, leveling the series in the second match. After the setback in the first game, the Tigers secured a crucial victory in Sharjah, bringing the series to a 1-1 tie with a 68-run win over Afghanistan.
Facing a must-win situation, Bangladesh put up a solid performance. Batting first, they posted 252/7, thanks to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 76, Zakir Ali’s unbeaten 37, and Soumya Sarkar’s 35. In response, controlled bowling from Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman ensured that Afghanistan was bowled out for 184 in 43.3 overs.
Nasum, who returned to the team after a year, was instrumental with both bat and ball. He scored a valuable 25 and took three crucial wickets, contributing significantly to the win.
Opener Tanzid Tamim set the tone with an aggressive 22 off 17 balls, partnering with Soumya for a 28-run opening stand. After his departure, captain Shanto and Soumya built a solid 71-run partnership before Soumya fell for 35. The team lost momentum after that but managed to cross the 250-run mark, with debutant Zakir Ali finishing strong with a six on the last ball.
Defending 253, Taskin Ahmed struck early, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 2. Despite a 50-run stand between Sadiqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah, Nasum broke the partnership, dismissing Atal for 39. Mustafizur and Nasum continued to chip away at the Afghan batting, with Mustafizur taking key wickets and Shariful Islam dismissing the dangerous Gulbadin Naib for 26.
Afghanistan’s middle and lower order failed to recover, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nasum wrapping up the innings efficiently.
