Afghan openers thrive against indisciplined bowling

Bangladesh fielders have looked somewhat sharp in the field but their bowlers lacked discipline, giving the impetus to Afghanistan openers who continued to impress in the second and penultimate ODI of the series in Chattogram today.  

Sent in to bat, Afghanistan are 107 for naught after 15 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (63 not out) and Ibrahim Zadran (24 not out) struck 10 boundaries and four sixes – all hit by Gurbaz – as the duo composed a century stand in 86 balls on the back of a 54-run stand in the first ODI where the Tigers lost by 17 runs (via DLS).

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Gurbaz, who has shown the ability to convert starts into a big score -- having registered more centuries (3) than fifties (2) in 19 ODI innings before today's fixture -- was characteristically aggressive from the get-go. He opened the mark with a graceful cover drive to Mustafizur Rahman in the opening over of the innings.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

In the first 10 overs, the home side conceded as many as 16 extras – contributing to around a quarter of the total runs.  

Hasan Mahmud, who opened the bowling alongside Mustafizur, lacked his usual immaculate line and length early on, and had overstepped by a big margin to bowl a no-ball in his first over. Mustafizur also bowled a no-ball in the first delivery of his second over. Moreover, Shakib Al Hasan brought in to the attack in the seventh over and he bowled a leg-side wide that resulted in four extras.     

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Fellow opener Ibrahim Zadran, who played an unbeaten 58-ball 41 in the series opener, played the second fiddle to Gurbaz while keeping the scoreboard ticking. 

Skipper Liton Das have already introduced all five specialists bowlers, with Ebadot -- who came in place of Taskin Ahmed -- remained the most expensive of the lot after he was called up to bowl in the fifth over.