PV desk : Afghanistan secured a first ever World Cup semi-final after eight-run victory over Bangladesh which in turn knocked Australia out of the T20 tournament.
Bangladesh came into the game with a chance to progress or send Australia through with a victory but – chasing a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern revised target of 114 in 19 overs as rain affected their innings – were bowled out for 105.
Bangladesh, however, were well on course of materializing the hopes when they held Afghanistan off to 115-5 in 20 overs. To make it semifinal by beating the teams like Australia and Afghanistan on net run rate, Bangladesh were given the target to chase it down by 12.1 overs.
But apart from Liton Das, no one could show the determination and stubbornness, which first ruined Bangladesh’s hopes to chase down the total in 12.1 overs and later paved their defeat as they were bowled out for 105 in 17.5 overs.
Liton Das battled lonely to be stranded on 54 off 49 with five fours and one six. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan claimed 4-23 while fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq also snapped up 4-26 including Bangladesh’s last two wickets to send the team to the semifinal for the first time in their country’s history.
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first in a match hit by rain quite a several times, knowing that a victory would put them in the semifinal. The possibility of the proud history seemed to have put a huge pressure on them as their batters looked nervous.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, the two openers grinded it out to put on 59 runs for the opening stand but they took 10.4 overs to get it.
Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain who took 3-26 and achieved the feat to take highest wickets for Bangladesh in a single edition of the tournament, going past Shakib Al Hasan’s record, struck twice to dismiss those two openers.
Gurbaz made team-best 43 off 55 with three fours and one six while Zadran scored 18. In between Mustafizur Rahman took the wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai for 10. Taskin who ended with 4-1-12-1 and Mustafizur who had figures of 4-0-17-1, stifled Afghanistan to slow down the scoring rate.
However, Rashid Khan hit three sixes off Tanzim Hasan Sakib in the last over to help the side post 115-5 and those three sixes eventually made all the difference.
Liton Das started the chase with a bang, taking 13 runs in the first over and Bangladesh looked on the course to chase it down by 12.1 overs.
With Bangladesh at 23-3, Liton and Soumya Sarkar (10) looked to have bailed Bangladesh out of danger but Rashid Khan struck to get rid of Soumya, ending 25-run partnership.
Rashid then got the better of Towhid Hridoy, who made second best 14, before he claimed the wicket of experienced Mahmudullah (6) and Rishad Hossain for duck to put Afghanistan on the verge of the victory.
Bangladesh captain apologizes to fans:
After India beat Australia on Sunday, both Afghanistan and Bangladesh had realistic chance of making the semifinals but it was the Rashid Khan-led team that defended a below par 115 to make the last-four stage.
Bangladesh needed to knock off the target in 12.1 overs but there were all out for 105 in rain-marred Super Eight contest.
“First of all, I would like to say that as a team, we let down all the fans of Bangladesh who follow us and support us. So, I apologise on behalf of the team. As a batting group, we couldn’t give the best to the people of the country,” Shanto said at the post-match press conference.
“We feel sorry for that. We will try to come out of this situation in the future.” Crestfallen he may be, but Shanto drew some positives form the campaign.
“The positive side is that the bowlers have bowled very well. Rishad (Hossain) has bowled very well in almost all matches in a big tournament like this. There were a lot of positives, but as a batting unit, we let down the fans and the people of our country.
“We gave them a hard time. But there was no lacking in our efforts. Everyone tried their best. Everyone was honest in their place. But at the end of the day, we couldn’t make it. So, on behalf of the team, I apologise,” he reiterated.
/NU/
