Cricket World Cup 2015, Highlights: Bangladesh Inflict 105-Run Defeat on Debutants Afghanistan
Afghanistan lost to Bangladesh by 105 runs on their World Cup debut. Catch all the highlights from Manuka Oval, Canberra here.
Bangladesh made light work of Afghanistan in their World Cup opener. Catch all the highlights from Canberra here. (Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Scorecard | Schedule | Standings)
4:26 PM IST: It's all over! The last man goes and Afghanistan are all out for 162. Bangladesh win by 105 runs.
4:18 PM IST: WICKET! So the 9th man is gone and now it's just a matter of time.
4:14 PM IST: WICKET! Shakib strikes again. Ashraf departs and Bangladesh near a convincing win. Afghanistan 154/8 in 41 overs, need 114 off 54.
4:06 PM IST: The required run rate is now well into double figures and Afghanistan clearly have to throw their bats around. Bangladesh are moving in for the kill. Afghanistan 146/7 in 40 overs, need 113 off 60.
3:57 PM IST: WICKET! Nabi falls to Mortaza and Bangladesh look set to wrap it up. Afghanistan 136/7 in 37.1 overs, need 132 off 77.
3:56 PM IST: WICKET! Najibullah is sent back by Shakib for 17. Afghanistan 136/6 in 37 overs, need 132 off 78 balls.
3:48 PM IST: Nabi and Najibullah keeping their heads clear. They will have to bat the distance if Afghanistan are to win this game. Afghanistan 131/5, need 137 off 84.
3:41 PM IST: Bangladesh have conceded just 4 fours in the last 19 overs. Afghanistan's rate is slow but they are hanging in there.
3:35 PM IST: Nabi and Najibullah have their task cut out with the gap increasing between runs and balls. Afghanistan 117/5 in 34 overs, need 151 off 96.
3:25 PM IST: This will be Bangladesh's 9th win in World Cups in their 5th tournament.Afghanistan 105/5 in 31 overs.
3:17 PM IST: FOUR! A powerful shot off the front foot by Nabi. Afghanistan will need more of those to stay alive in this game. Afghanistan 95/5 in 29 0vers.
3:11 PM IST: Bangladesh looking to apply more pressure as the asking rate keeps on climbing for Afghanistan. Afghanistan 85/5 in 27 overs.
3:03 PM IST: WICKET! Shenwari is gone for 42 and that is a crucial blow struck by Bangladesh. Afghanistan 78/5 in the 26th over.
2:57 PM IST: Sourav Ganguly is impressed with Bangladesh's clinical performance so far: "They have been very good on the field today and they have some technically good players in the team." Afghanistan are 69/4 off 24 overs chasing 268.
2:52 PM IST: WICKET! Sensational catch by Rubel as Mangal chips Mahmudullah into the air - he goes for 27 and Afghanistan are 67/4 in the 23rd over. This is now Bangladesh's game all the way unless the Afghans do something brilliant with the bat.
2:36 PM IST: It is quickly getting away from Afghanistan - they need 218 runs more from 32 overs with seven wickets in hand. Mangal or Shenwari need to get the scorecard moving or they will be left with way too many to chase in the end even with a few wickets in hand.
2:28 PM IST: Afghanistan's chase not going anywhere really - they are 44/3 off 16 overs and need to press on the accelerator here or be prepared for a defeat.
2:02 PM IST: Afghanistan have a mountain to climb here - they are 24/3 off 10 overs chasing 268 and it look like this is Bangladesh's game to lose. However, Mangal and Shenwari are seasoned campaigners and would be backing themselves to put up a great fight here.
1:41 PM IST: Bangladesh are all over Afghanistan at the moment. They have bowled with a lot of energy and delivered at the right areas against their nervous opponents. Consequently, only 12 runs have come off the first six overs at the loss of three wickets.
1:30 PM IST: WICKET! Mortaza is leading from the front - he has picked up his second wicket to remove the dangerous Stanikzai for 1. Afghanistan are 3/3 in three overs chasing 268.
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1:23 PM IST: Afghanistan have been rocked early. Mashrafe Mortaza removed Ahmadi for 1 while Rubel knocked off Zazai for 1 the very next delivery as Afghanistan were reduced to 2/2 in 1.1 overs. This is a nightmarish start to their chase of 268
If cricket is to become a truly global game, "associates" need more exposure to international cricket. They may keep surprising us!
- Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) February 18, 2015
12:46 PM IST: Bangladesh are all out for 267. Afghanistan were brilliant in the last 10 overs, giving away only 71 runs and picking up six wickets to restrict the Tigers. This is a below-par score here.
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12:44 PM IST: Some late order wickets have upset Bangladesh's attempts to post a big total. Musfiqur fell for 71 - there have been some excellent efforts from the Afgahns on the field.
12:31 PM IST: Hamid Hassan is bowling brilliantly in the death overs - he first removed the dangerous Shakib for 63 before beating Shabbir for good pace - Bangladesh are 241/6 in the 47th over.
12:20 PM IST: Shakib has got his eyes in and with Rahim, he is taking a heavy toll on Afghanistan's hapless bowlers. Both batsmen are throwing their bats at everything and they realise 300 is par for the course.
12:14 PM IST: This has been a great comeback by Bangladesh - Mushfiqur scored his 19th fifty while Shakib made his 27th as Bangladesh reached 210/4 in 42.1 overs. They were in serious trouble when the two came together on 119/4 and it looked like Afghanistan were in control. But the Bangladesh duo's experience has made all the difference here, for now.
11:53 AM IST: Shakib al Hasan has become the first Bangladesh batsman to score 4000 ODI runs. He's also the No.1 all-rounder in the world, according to ICC rankings
11:46 AM IST: A lot of the onus now lies on Shakib, who has played some dazzling knocks for Bangladesh in the past. Together with Mushfirqur, he can put the Afghan attack to the cleaners.
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11:35 AM IST: Meanwhile, the United States embassy in Kabul seems to have got carried away in their support to the Afghan cricket team. They tweeted two hours ago to congratulate Mohammad Nabi's side of victory over Bangladesh. Err, the match had only just started back then. But the Americans realised their mistake, albeit an hour later. But they are Americans and their little knowledge of cricket could be forgiven!
Congratulations to #Afghanistan for their win over #Bangladesh in the Cricket World Cup #CWC15 #AFGvsBAN
- U.S. Embassy Kabul (@USEmbassyKabul) February 18, 2015
Premature posting but we are still cheering for team Afghanistan at the #CWC15! #AFGvsBAN
- U.S. Embassy Kabul (@USEmbassyKabul) February 18, 2015
11:26 AM IST: The Bangladesh top order has let the team down again. The Tigers are 129/4 after 32 overs and though they have Shakib and Mushfiqur in the middle now, the task is cut out. Afghanistan on the other hand, have done really well with the ball. Question is if they can sustain the pressure in the closing stages of the innings.
11:10 AM IST: WICKET! Zadran is on fire - he is bowling with pace and venom and has removed Mahumudullah for 23 as Bangladesh totter at 119/4 off 29.1 overs. That has brought two of their most experienced men, Mushfiqur and Shakib to the crease. They have a mountain to climb.
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10:56 AM IST: WICKET! Massive blow for Bangladesh as Zadran strikes to remove Sarkar, who was looking very good in the middle. Bangladesh are 102/3 off 25.5 overs as Shakib al Hasan walks to the crease.
10:46 AM IST: SIX! Sarkar charges down the ground to hit Mirwais out of the park and Bangladesh are 93/2 in 24.2 overs.
10:44 AM IST: Mahmudullah and Sarkar have steadied Bangladesh after the twin jolts. The duo have the skills to dig their side out of trouble and post a challenging score on the board.
10:22 AM IST: The onus is now on Mahmudullah and Sarkar to bail Bangladesh out of trouble. They were off to a steady start before losing the openers in quick succession. After Tamim had fallen to Mirwais, the bowler came back to strike again, removing the well set Anamul HAque for 29.
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10:03 AM IST: WICKET! Tamim Iqbal perished to Mirwais after helping Bangladesh off to a solid start vs Afghanistan. He scored 19 as Bangladesh reached 47/1 off 14.3 overs. Soumya Sarkar has walked in to join Anamul at the crease.
9:55 AM IST: There is a lot of support for both teams in Canberra. Fans have flocked to see Afghanistan making their World Cup debut while Bangladesh fans would be eager to see their team make amends for the Asia Cup loss.
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9:45 AM IST: Bangladesh are 38/0 off 10 overs vs Afghanistan, who have so far been impressive with the new ball. Can they sustain the pressure?
9:31 AM IST: Bangladesh are starting to open up here. Anamul picks up Hassan for a FOUR! Afghanistan need to ensure that they don't let the pressure slip up here.
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9:22 AM IST: FOUR! Stylish shot from Tamim as Hassan errs in line slightly. This was a rare bad ball and the experienced Tamim was not going to miss out on that.
9:15 AM IST: Loud appeal against Tamim off the bowling of Hamid Hassan. The umpire turns it down and Afghanistan decide not to use the DRS. But this has been an excellent start from the Afghan bowlers - Zadran has also been impressive from the other end. Bangladesh 3/0 off 10 overs
9:05 AM IST: Hamid Hassan bowls a good, accurate over - Bangladesh opener Anamul and Tamim were watchful to start with; 2/0 off 1 over.
8:34 AM: Bangladesh have won the toss vs Afghanistan and opted to bat in Canberra. The Tigers have made no major changes to their side.
8:26 AM IST: Former Sri Lankan player Russell Arnold suggested the team winning the toss should look to at first on the Canberra strip. He and former Pakistan batsman Razmeez Raza said 300 was on the cards today.
8:20 AM IST: Afghanistan had won their only ODI vs Bangladesh at the Asia Cup and that too in Bangladesh. That would have hurt the Tigers and undoubtedly would be keen to show who the big brothers are. This should be a cracker of contest.
8:07 AM IST: Afghanistan are making their World Cup debut and they could not have asked for a better first match. They take on Bangladesh, a side they had beaten at the Asia Cup last year. Bangladesh, meanwhile, would be eager to shrug off that defeat and focus on getting their campaign off to a great start. So this game, albeit between minnows, should provide plenty of context.
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The Manuka Oval in Canberra will be a full house. Like every sub-continental team, Bangladesh too have a firm support base around the world and those fans would flock in to watch Bangladesh grab the advantage in the opening game. Their recent form has been wobbly and if not for a series win against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh's ODI records would have taken a further dip.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, are the darlings of this World Cup. After some eye-catching performances in the Asia Cup last year, the Afghan team is eyeing big upsets Down Under. An opening game against Bangladesh, provides for the perfect opportunity. Interestingly, in the only meeting between these teams, it was the Afghans who pulled one over the Bangla tigers in the Asia Cup.
Team in Focus: Afghanistan
Afghanistan have made full use of their limited opportunities and have won 24 out of the 45 ODIs that they have featured in. The Afghan team is on a dream odyssey and have nothing to lose. They have come prepared to enjoy their time in the sunshine. However, they aren't mere pushovers. Although, their batting can be a little suspect, their bowling has the required ammunition to trouble most batting line-ups. They have good fast bowlers and an utility spinner in their captain Mohammad Nabi.
However, for Afghanistan, it's all about their spirit. From a war-stricken country to qualify for the World Cup, cricket has acted as a balm on scarred souls. There are in the World Cup to win hearts and a win a Bangladesh, will only enhance their "darling" status.
Team in Focus: Bangladesh
It's been a tough ride for Bangladesh on the international scene. Out of the 294 ODIs that they have played, they have managed to go past the line only 85 times. A few years back, they were at least competitive but now, the Bangla tigers roll over too easy. They have had their moments of glory like beating the mighty Australians but those triumphs have been way too sporadic for a Test playing nation. Talent hasn't been and issue but Bangladesh, over the years, has failed to harness those talents and build a team around them. Even now, in Shakib-al-Hasan they have one of the best all-rounders in the world, but the others around him have not been able to put their hands up.
Against Afghanistan, it's a tricky opener for Bangladesh. A victory is expected but a slip-up will raise further questions about their pedigree and their Test-playing status.