Allah Ghazanfar stars as Afghanistan take 1-0 lead vs Bangladesh in ODI series

Afghanistan continued to build their stronghold at Sharjah, claiming a crucial 1-0 lead in the series against Bangladesh.

Fresh off their maiden series win over South Africa, the Afghan side showed resilience once again, overcoming early setbacks in both innings to secure victory. Allah Ghazanfar starred with the ball for Afghanistan as he picked up a 6-wicket haul to help the team win by a massive margin of 92 runs in the 1st ODI match.

Bangladesh started strong with the ball, reducing Afghanistan to a precarious 35/4 and then 71/5. Mustafizur Rahman was the architect of Afghanistan’s early troubles, tearing through the top order and claiming a four-wicket haul. Taskin Ahmed also contributed with key wickets, helping to keep Afghanistan in check. However, the Bangladeshi bowlers couldn’t completely capitalise on the early breakthroughs, as Afghanistan’s middle order found ways to bounce back.

Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi orchestrated a much-needed recovery. Their patient partnership shifted the momentum, with Shahidi and Nabi both reaching half-centuries. They rotated the strike effectively and punished loose balls, guiding Afghanistan to a more respectable total of 235. Shahidi was eventually dismissed, but Nabi continued to anchor the innings before falling short of a century while trying to accelerate the scoring. Taskin added to Bangladesh’s tally with another impressive spell, securing two quick wickets in the end, but Bangladesh’s sloppy ground fielding allowed Afghanistan to add valuable runs.

Bangladesh lose 8 wickets for 23 runs

In response, Bangladesh started confidently, reaching 120/2 at the halfway mark and appearing on course to chase down the target comfortably. But Afghanistan’s spinners turned the game around dramatically, sparking a collapse that saw Bangladesh lose their last eight wickets for just 23 runs. Mohammad Nabi triggered the slump, breaking a promising partnership between Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan.

This breakthrough allowed debutant Allah Ghazanfar to take charge, and he tore through Bangladesh’s lineup with remarkable ease, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. His deliveries left the Bangladeshi batters struggling to read the turn, and the pressure mounted as each wicket fell.

Rashid Khan also made a vital contribution, picking up two important scalps as Afghanistan’s bowlers completely dismantled Bangladesh’s lineup. Despite some missed catches early on, Afghanistan’s fielding improved as their bowlers gained control, creating pressure that Bangladesh’s batters couldn’t handle.

For Bangladesh, the defeat exposed vulnerabilities against spin and raised concerns about their middle-order resilience in pressure situations.