Rain plays spoilsport to call off 2nd ODI after Mushfiq masterclass
The rain arrived at the end of the first inning and never really left. The cut-off time for a 20-over game was 9:33 pm. But the rain had the final say and the match was officially been called off an hour earlier.
The second ODI between Bangladesh and Ireland at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) has been called off due to persistent rain after the hosts posted a mammoth 349 for six in 50 overs thanks to Mushfiqur Rahim's record-breaking hundred and broke their highest-ever ODI total (338/8) which they set just two days ago.
The rain arrived at the end of the first inning and never really left. The cut-off time for a 20-over game was 9:33 pm. But the rain had the final say and the match was officially been called off an hour earlier.
The hosts would feel they have been robbed a little as a mighty score of 349 was always going to be very difficult to chase down for the Ireland side.
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In the first innings, Mushfiq broke Shakib's 63-ball century record ( against Zimbabwe in 2009) as he reached his ninth ODI hundred in 60 balls.
This would probably be the highlight of Bangladesh's innings. But there were more. Litton Das started it, Najmul Hossain Shanto joined in, Towhid Hridoy sizzled and Mushfiq finished it off - that's how Bangladesh tallied a record-breaking 349.
Bangladesh started off slow scoring 42 runs in the first 10 overs. Birthday boy Tamim Iqbal departed just when he was finding his feet.
Litton and Shanto then slowly but steadily kept on going.
Bangladesh were 78/1 after 18 overs. Litton was 37 off 49 balls and Shanto was 15 from 28. Then three expensive overs saw both the batters hitting fours and sixes for fun. And the run rate climbed to five runs per over.
Litton reached his fifty in 54 balls. He reached his 2000 ODI runs with that.
Litton departed rather cheaply for 70 after building a 101-run partnership in 96 balls with Shanto. He hit three boundaries and three sixes in his innings at a strike rate of 98.59.
Bangladesh lost two quick wickets after Shanto and Shakib's 39-run partnership.
Shanto reached his fifty in 59 balls. He missed his hundred as well, departing for 73 off 77 balls soon after Shakib Al Hasan was dismissed for 17.
Mushfiq and Hridoy picked up from where they left off in the last match. The Bogura duo batted aggressively and kept the run rate well above 5.8 per over.
Bangladesh reached 241/4 after 40 overs. The Tigers, at this point, were looking to break their highest ODI score (338/8) which they set just two days ago. And they did, eventually.
Musfhfiq and Hridoy's partnership reached 51 from just 39 balls. And they took 26 more balls to add another 50 runs to their partnership.
Mushfiq who missed his fifty in the first match, reached the milestone in the second match playing in the same fashion. He ran riot with the bat and reached a 33-ball fifty. And he became the third Bangladeshi batter to reach 7000 ODI runs after Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan.
The duo stepped a level further in the final 10 overs. Hridoy, though, missed his second ODI fifty in his second match by just one run. But he played a brilliant 49-run innings from 36 balls hitting four boundaries and one maximum. With his departure, the 128-run partnership from just 78 balls came to an end.
Yasir then came in but couldn't do much in the seven balls that he faced.
It was all up to Mushfiq to reach the quickest ODI hundred for Bangladesh, and he did it in the final ball of the innings.
The Tigers hit 15 boundaries and two maximums in the final 10 overs bagging 108 runs in that period.
For Ireland, Graham Hume was again the star bowler with three wickets to his name. Mark Adair and Curtis Campher picked up a wicket each.
But, it was the weather that won on the day. Bangladesh will head into the third ODI 1-0 up.
